Two Iranian books among 2021 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities
Arts & Culture Desk
Two Iranian books are listed in the official catalogue of 2021 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. This list picks 50 books from publishers around the world each year.
Samaneh Naderi’s ‘Yek Chizi Injast!’ (Something’s here!) and ‘Haft Asb, Haft Rang’ (Seven horses, seven colors) written by Mohammad-hadi Mohammadi and illustrated by Nooshin Safakho (published by the Institute for Research on the History of Children’s Literature in 2017) which were announced by the Children’s Book Council in Iran, are displayed among the lineup, IRNA wrote.
Naderi and Mohammadi’s books participated in the Specialized Format and Universal Access sections, respectively.
Specialized Format section includes books using different systems and designs which can help to make reading accessible to everyone. Specialized formats include
Braille, sign language, non-verbal communication systems and other designs.
Universal Access features the books in this section from the mainstream production. They are understandable to all individuals, in particular young people with learning or intellectual disabilities.
According to ibby.org, many young people with disabilities cannot read or enjoy a regular book, or they cannot find a suitable book among the many publications available. Therefore, they need specially produced books or selected regular books of literary and artistic quality that meet their special needs regarding design, language, plot structure and pictures.
The Children’s Book Council is an independent, non-governmental organization and the first body established to promote children’s literature in Iran. The council started its activities in 1962 with the efforts of Touran Mirhadi (1927-2016) and a group of education experts, writers and artists.