The Little Black Fish Off to See the World

A children’s picture book by Samad Behrangi (1939-1968), a teacher in the rural villages of an Iranian province. His short stories were about powerless people: the poor and ignored, who had to survive in very difficult conditions which, for the most part, were a result of a political system that did not care for the people. These conditions were not so different from those existing in many countries in the world today, and in Africa in particular. The Little Black Fish of the story represents courage and the desire for knowledge against age-old ignorance and fear, even if in the end a high price may have to be paid. A classic of Iranian children’s literature with universal political resonance, introducing young African readers to a tradition of resistance storytelling. The publication by Mkuki na Nyota extends the book’s reach from its original Persian readership to East African children.