I am living just for children: writer Mostafa Rahmandoost
TEHRAN –(Iranart)- Children’s book writer Mostafa Rahmandoost, famous for his poem on the pomegranate “100 Pieces of Ruby”, says that he writes for children because he is living for children.
“This is life, everybody has a goal in his life and my goal in life is children. I write for children and I am alive just for them,” he said.
He noted that the first priority in purchasing books for children is their pleasure, adding, “We must first know what our children like and what topics they enjoy the most.”
“We must connect with children in a way to understand their feelings and thoughts, asking questions is not enough,” he said.
On the current situation of coronavirus that has forced many children to stay at home, Rahmandoost said, “My children have grown up and have left the house, but if I had a little child at home, I would certainly spend more time to choose a good book.”
“We used to buy 10 books with a small amount of money, and if one or two of the books were not good enough it was not that important. But now we can only buy one with the same amount of money, so we must be more careful in choosing a good book for our children,” he explained.
He also added that there are several institutes that offer good books, providing better opportunities for families and schools deciding how to spend money on their children’s books.
He added that the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) used to introduce children’s books, and that was a very good idea.
“This way it would be useful both for families, while it would also help equip IIDYCA libraries across the country,” he concluded.
Rahmandoost, the author of “Zal and the Phoenix” was born in Hamedan in 1950.
He has been working for children and young adults for over 30 years. He has so far published over 300 books, poetry and book translations.
His credits include over 150 stories and poem collections such as “The Sky Also Smiled”, “I Like Children” and “The Story of Five Fingers”.
source: Tehran Times