Mohammadreza Shams was studying in an art school when he became acquainted with a theater troupe, which caused him to opt for acting and playwriting. Besides theater, he composed poetry and after the Islamic Revolution in Iran, his poems and stories were published in renowned Iranian children’s and young adult magazines. Shams is particularly skilled in creatively rewriting legends. Using the techniques of Iranian curiosity texts, he has tried to write very short fantasy stories for children. In these stories, inanimate objects become alive and obtain personalities, with their relationships forming the story. Shams has also written scientific stories.
Some of his works have been translated into English, Mandarin, Turkish, and Thai.
Selected Works:
The Lunatic and the Well (2001), Hannaneh Pubs.
Crazy Girl (2001), Hannaneh Pubs.
The Balloon and the Hippo (2006), Ofoq Pubs.
Me, My Step-Mom, and Dad’s Nose (2010), Ofoq Pubs.
– A Distance That Got Old (2010), Peydayesh Pubs.
-Breakfast of the Imagination (2010), Cheshmeh Pubs.
– The Thief Who Became a Butterfly (2010), Cheshmeh Pubs.
– Backwards Stories (2013), Kanoon Pubs.
-Telling Two Stories (2014), Soroush Pubs.
– The Bald Apple (2015), Peydayesh Pubs.
Selected Awards and Recognitions:
-Listed in the International Library of Munich (White Ravens),
-IBBY Honor Diploma,
-Best Book Award from the Book Festival of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (Kanoon),
– Best Book Award from the Children’s Book Council of Iran,
-Best Book Award from the Cultural Society of Children’s Publishers
Introducing Some Titles:
If you are interested in any of the titles, please contact at polliteraryagency@gmail.com. *
Title: The Old Bench
Publisher: Madrese Pubs.
No. of Pages: 16
Size: 19×19
ISBN: 9789640812578
About the Book: It was the time of retirement for the class-old bench. One day, the school servant told it that he had to take it to a jungle. When it reached the jungle, the trees welcomed it so warmly and celebrated it. After passing some days, the old bench missed the school and desired to go back to the class. So, the trees helped it to change the jungle to a school. This book enjoys a short text, beautiful illustrations, and an attractive story.
Title: The Legends of Three Girls (3 Vols.)
Illustrated by: Sahar Khorasani
Publisher: Ofoq
Publication Date: 2017
Pages (respectively): 80, 78, 70
Publisher: Ofoq Pubs
Size: 14.5 x 18.5
ISBN: 978-600-353-214-4, 978-600-353-213-7, 978-600-353-212-0
About the Books:
This series is amongst the kind of titles that not only is fit for younger adults but also the adults can relate to the stories as well as children. A mixture of world-renowned fables brilliantly oven into old Persian legends. That the stories are based on humane feelings of love, loss, betrayal, loyalty, honesty, and as such, has added a tremendous superiority to it, for a person no matter how young, will encounter such dilemmas sooner or later. Shams has this rare ability to mingle stories and create a brand new essence, which becomes the reason why his titles are so well received by the readers. In this series, we read of lives of three girls, whose stories may seem repetitive, but the twists and turns they gain is like no other fable we have read. For instance, we all have heard, read, or even seen the story of Cinderella and her cruel stepmother or The Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel and the Witch, but combining it with ancient Iranian myths spicing it up with princes and spells would prove a new experience.
Title: The Playful El
Publisher: Ofoq Pubs
ISBN: 9786003531079
Size: 23.5 ×16
Pages: 24
About the Book:
The Playful L is the first in a series of illustrated books for children. In this series, many prominent Iranian authors and illustrators have come together to create fun books for children, which are educational and recreational at the same time. Mohammad Reza Shams, who is among very well-known Iranian authors for children in his latest title, has masterfully played with different words which start with L. he intertwines his narrative with frivolous sentences and memorable characters. This is a series for bringing the children into the world of the story, and the adults, into the world of children.
Title: One Single Nut
Publisher: Mehrab-e Ghalam Pubs.
No. of Pages: 24
Size: 19× 19
ISBN: 9786004133456
About the Book:
One of the short tales from the ”Friendship Series”, promoting friendship as a fortunate accident that makes the world more beautiful. This collection, written for preschool children, consists of 15 stories, of which nine have been published. All the stories are thematically based on friendship and sympathy. The amusing tales and interesting illustrations are created by Iranian expert writers and skillful illustrators under the direction of the renowned author, Majid Rasti, executive director of Mehrab-e Ghalam’s Board of Children’s literature. The artistic director of the board is Hoda Haddadi, an internationally acclaimed artist.
Title: Tales for Children
Publisher: Mehrab-e Ghalam Pubs.
No. of Pages: 48 (each vol.)
Size: 18× 14
ISBN: 9786004130486
About the Book:
Iranian Tales for Children is a collection of folkloric tales from all over Iran. The tales in this collection are based on a wide repertoire of Iranian fairy tales. The collection consists of five volumes each containing 7 to 9 tales skillfully rewritten and illustrated for children. This collection, published alongside other fairy tale collections from all over the world, is specifically allocated to Iranian traditional tales.