Update - Winner Announced! Celebrate Persian New Year with Rashin Kheiriyeh!

4/11 - Congrats to Ann Harrell. You are the winner of NorthSouth's giveaway. We'll be in touch soon with more details.

A special thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate Persian New Year!

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Hi readers, writers, and celebrators of all sorts! 🌸 Today marks Persian New Year, a beautiful holiday that welcomes the arrival of spring and celebrates renewal, hope, and fresh beginnings. And what better way to celebrate than with the wonderful author and illustrator of Welcome, Uncle Nowruz!: A Persian New Year's Story?

Nane Sarma is winter herself, and each year she eagerly waits for her dear friend, Uncle Nowruz. His special job is to travel across the land announcing the arrival of spring. But somehow, year after year, she always falls asleep before he arrives! This fun and fresh spin on a beloved Nowruz folktale is full of warmth, charm, and seasonal magic - this is definitely a story you won’t want to miss.

Want to know more about Rashin and their new book, plus want a chance to win a copy? Read on...🌷📚

Q: Hi, Rashin! We’re so excited to feature you and your beautiful book Welcome, Uncle Nowruz! to celebrate Persian New Year. How exciting!

First, can you share a little bit about yourself and your journey in becoming a published author and illustrator?   

 A: My journey began at age 16 while studying at an art school in Iran, where I took a children’s book illustration class that changed everything for me. I quickly discovered how naturally I connected with stories and imagined fictional worlds through images. Soon after, my work was published in children’s magazines, and winning first prize at the Tehran Book Illustration Award opened the door to professional publishing in Iran.

Receiving the Bologna award marked a major turning point, introducing my work to international publishers across Europe and Asia. After moving to New York in 2011, I published my first book in the United States. Since then, my books have been published internationally, including Two Parrots with NorthSouth Books and Saffron Ice Cream with Arthur A. Levine at Scholastic.

That is so AMAZING! Thanks for sharing.

Q: In Welcome, Uncle Nowruz! Nane Sarma is winter herself, and every year she waits eagerly for her old friend, Uncle Nowruz. His job is to travel the land announcing the beginning of spring. But somehow, she always falls asleep before he arrives! Will Nane be able to stay awake this year? 

This is a lot of fun! Can you share more about the inspiration behind your book? What encouraged you to write it and how did you put a fun and unique spin on this folktale for young readers? 

A: Thank you! I received many requests from Iranian-American families asking me to create a book about Nowruz—one they could share with their children to pass the tradition on to the next generation.This story grew out of my deep love for Persian folktales and the way they carry big ideas.

Nane Sarma and Uncle Nowruz were always my favorites growing up in Iran. I still remember performing this story as a school play, dressed up as the seasons, and feeling how funny and bittersweet it was that winter and spring never quite met.

To put a fun and unique spin on the folktale, I added grandchildren to the story. Their mission is simple but important: don’t let Nane Sarma fall asleep this year. They follow her everywhere, help her set up the Nowruz table, and try silly tricks to keep her awake—singing, tickling, and making lots of noise.

By bringing children into the narrative, the story becomes more energetic, humorous, and interactive.

Q: Your illustrations are gorgeous! The color and warm, lively characters and charm you’ve added are truly unique.  Can you share more about your illustration process with us? Do you write your story first then start illustrating or do you work both at the same time?

A: Thank you so much! For this book, the cover image was actually the very first inspiration for the entire project. Years ago, I posted a similar illustration on social media, and it received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback—especially around Nowruz. People in Iran shared it widely every year as a way to greet the season and celebrate the Persian New Year. Seeing how deeply it resonated, and how it was loved by millions, made me realize there was a bigger story waiting to be told.

Red became a key color throughout the book. It’s such an important color for Nowruz, full of energy and life, and I let it pop through the illustrations—especially in the tablecloth used for the Nowruz sofreh. After completing the storyboard, I moved into the final artwork, using oil paint and acrylics to bring texture, warmth, and depth to the scenes.

The process felt very organic: one image led to another, and the story grew visually first, then fully came together through both paint and words.

Q:  What is your favorite spread from the story and why? How long did it take you to complete the spread and the entire book?

A: My favorite spread is the moment Uncle Nowruz arrives, riding a flying white horse, as the children run out to welcome him. That scene feels magical to me. When I was working on it, I could almost smell the hyacinth flowers in the air—that unmistakable scent of spring at that time of year.

The illustrations and polishing the manuscript took about a year and half to complete. I spent a significant amount of time refining each spread and making sure the mood and movement felt just right. 

Q: What is your vision for this book? What's the ultimate end goal for your story?

A: For me, I would love to see it come to life as an animation. Seeing Nane Sarma, Uncle Nowruz, and the grandchildren moving and interacting would be magical. Animation would also let me add Nowruz songs and music into the story, making it an even more immersive and joyful experience—so children could not only read about spring arriving but feel it through sound, movement, and color.

We'll be rooting for you because...what a wonderful vision!

Q: Would you like to leave a tip or a treat for our readers?

A: A treat! NorthSouth is offering a book giveaway to one lucky reader!

WOW! Thanks so much to them for an amazing treat. And thanks again for joining us! It was a pleasure getting to know more about you and your book.

Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter to win NorthSouth's book giveaway, 1) share this post on social media and 2) leave a comment below to thank Rashin for stopping by. Spring GIFs are welcomed, too!

Giveaway winners will be drawn and announced on or about 04/03!

Books will be shipped in the US only.

About Rashin Kheiriyeh:

Rashin Kheiriyeh is a multi-award-winning author-illustrator, animator, and painter who has more than ninety children’s books to her credit. Her books have been published in at least twelve countries and she was nominated for the 2023 & 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to children’s literature. She is also the recipient of a Sendak Fellowship Award, a 2009 New Horizon Award (Bologna Ragazzi), and is a six-time winner of the Bologna Book Fair Illustration competition. Rashin Kheiriyeh is the character artist of the most popular animation series on national television in Iran called “Shekarestan” (“Sugarland”). She now lives in Washington, DC.

For more about Rashin, or to purchase her book, check out the below links:

NorthSouth Books: www.northsouth.com

Website: https://www.rashinart.com/

Amazon: Amazon.com: Rashin Kheiriyeh: books

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