Iran designates Azar Yazdi’s death anniversary as Iran’s National Day of Children’s Literature

TEHRAN,July 2(MNA) -- Iran’s Public Culture Council has registered June 8 as Iran’s National Day of Literature for Children and Young Adults. The day marks the death anniversary of the celebrated Iranian children author Mehdi Azar Yazdi. The date was proposed to the council by the Mehdi Azar Yazdi Foundation in January 2011. Azar Yazdi passed away on July 9, 2009. His “Good Stories for Good Children”, which won a UNESCO prize in 1966 and was selected as Iran’s best book of the year in 1967, remains a hot pick among children’s books in Iran. Born in 1921, Azar Yazdi began writing for children in 1956. He wrote seven books, each of which is adapted from a classic of Persian literature and rewritten for children in an easy-to-understand style. He simplified stories are from classic Persian masterpieces such as the Gulistan, Masnavi-e Manavi, Marzbannameh, Sinbadnameh, and other stories in the collection are from the Holy Quran and the life of the Prophet Muhammad (S) and his Household (AS). He was also author of “The Naughty Cat,” “The Playful Cat,” “Simple Stories,” “Poetry of Sugar and Honey” and “Masnavi of Good Children.” His “Adam” was chosen as Iran’s book of the year in 1968. His book “Adam” was chosen as Iran’s best book of the year in 1968.