In the Meadow of Fantasies

September 1, 2021
A simple narrative creates an emotionally rich story in this picture book by two Iranian creators. A girl daydreams a story about seven horses, inspired by the mobile above her bed. The first six horses have different colors, homes, and dreams. The seventh lacks a color, a home, even a dream of its own. So the other horses share patches of their coats, bits of their homes, and sparks of their dreams. Soon the seventh horse becomes a parent, following after the others. The story shifts to follow the young foal as it frolics through fantasies and then follows its dream back to the bedroom of the girl. Translated from Persian, this fantastical adventure draws readers in with lyrical text and mesmerizing illustrations. Each page turn reveals a new layer of fantasy that eventually merges with the girl's reality. Deft composition pairs slightly rough, stonelike textures with exquisite details. The girl, like the seventh horse, lacks a color, so her whole body is rendered in black and white, and she has straight black hair. One illustration features an empty wheelchair near the girl's bed, and she is depicted in red braces; however, wheelchair and braces are absent from the remainder of the story. Though the story is ultimately joyous, there's an emotionally compelling sense of longing that thrums just under the surface. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An equine reverie that blossoms into a fantastical and emotionally captivating adventure. (Picture book. 4-9)

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October 4, 2021
Not a folktale, not a poem, not a dream, but some whirling mixture of the three, this lulling recitation by Iranian author Mohammadi affirms generosity as a natural impulse. A paper-white girl in bed beside a wheelchair imagines into life the seven horses of a mobile that hangs above her. Straightforward lines categorize the dot-eyed equine beasts: “The first horse was white./ The second horse was black/... But the seventh horse had no color at all.” Illustrator Safakhoo represents the girl, the horses, and their exploits in finely hatched ink lines and muted colors. With droll humor, she draws a large aboveground pool in which the horses bathe to give a patch of their color to the seventh horse, whom the girl pushes in off a diving board: “Now the seventh horse was of every color.” The seventh horse has no home, but the others give it parts of theirs; the seventh horse has no dreams, but the others share theirs, and the transformation slowly brings color to the girl’s world. Repeating phrases and softly amusing drawings give this imaginative realm of loving-kindness a gossamer touch. Ages 3–7.