Champ - (Powerful Story of Resistance and Courage) by Payam Ebrahimi (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A powerful and wise story about finding the courage to be yourself, despite the pressure to conform. Written and illustrated by two celebrated Iranian creators, Champ is a book for anyone who marches to the beat of their own drum: for the artists in a science family, or the readers in a sports family. It is a book for those around the world who have resisted and continue to do so, no matter what."--

Book Synopsis

A powerful and wise story about finding the courage to be yourself, despite the pressure to conform.

Abtin is nothing like the rest of his family. The Moleskis are fiercely competitive sports champions, and they expect Abtin to become a great athlete too. But Abtin is a reader, an artist, and has his own way of doing things. Despite his family's best efforts, Abtin remains stubbornly himself. Wanting his family to be proud of him, he comes up with a plan to make them happy: a plan that doesn't go quite as expected...

Written and illustrated by two celebrated Iranian creators, Champ is a book for anyone who marches to the beat of their own drum: for the artists in a science family, or the readers in a sports family. It is a book for those around the world who have resisted and continue to do so, no matter what.

An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

Review Quotes

"A book with a powerful message and a book that can work on different levels with different audiences. It is a very visually striking book... that will appeal to lovers of Jon Klassen's dark humour... Younger children will appreciate the humour of gleeful 'naughtiness' in this sophisticated picture book and older children will be able to engage with the issues of family pressure, resistance, difference and non-conformity, and resilience, self-acceptance and understanding. "
--Joy Court, Books for Keeps

"The book is about high family expectations... The impact of course comes principally from the use of scale: from drawing the father as a giant stabbing his finger at his tiny son... And the minimal colours are just right... [suggesting] that home is where the pressure is... The minute pencils, pot of brushes and discarded pictures, including one hidden behind his back, reveal that he wants to be an artist... The nub of the story (and of a lot of people's experience) is all in the one spread."
--Nicolette Jones, Books for Keeps

"Readers who appreciate the tongue-in-cheek dark humor of Jon Klassen may enjoy Champ."
--Youth Services Book Review

About the Author

Payam Ebrahimi was born in Tehran. He has a degree in nuclear physics, but has worked as a graphic artist, journalist, and filmmaker. He has written numerous books for children and adolescents, and lives in Tehran.

Reza Dalvand is a member of the Iranian Society of Illustrators and has published more than 30 picture books in America, Europe, and Asia. He lives in the U.S.