A House Full of Animals - by Fatemeh Alise Amiratashani (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"Highlights the boundless potential of a child's creativity, no toys or tablets required."- Kirkus Reviews

Could you turn your living room into your very own zoo? And where would the animals come from?

When Mom needs to get a bit of work done, her little girl is excited to have some time to play. As she invites a few special friends to join her for a snack, what starts as an ordinary afternoon quickly transforms into an extraordinary adventure.

In this imaginative debut book from author Fatemeh Amiratashani, a simple living room becomes a fantastic zoo, brimming with whimsical creatures and wild escapades. With gorgeous illustrations by Ghazaleh Bigdelou, a silver medalist at Clavis' 2022 International Key Colors Competition, this story is a celebration of letting your imagination run wild and having fun through play. This book is also available in Spanish as Una casa llena de animales!

Perfect for animal lovers, this book invites children aged 4 years and up to explore the wonders of creativity and adventure in their everyday surroundings.

Review Quotes

"An imaginative little girl turns ordinary items into a menagerie of friends.
With Dad out shopping and Mom busy at work elsewhere in the house, the child has the opportunity for some delightfully uninterrupted playtime. She gets to work, inviting her pals Mr. Elephant, Miss Woodpecker, Mr. Hedgehog, Mrs. Peacock, and Mr. Giraffe. These animals, quite real to the girl, are actually creations fashioned from inventively repurposed household materials. Mr. Elephant's trunk is a paper-covered vacuum hose; Mr. Hedgehog's spikes are pins in a pincushion. It's not until her parents return that the spell is broken; the objects must be returned to their places until the girl has more time to play. The illustrations, relying on a limited palette of soft, muted browns and pops of more vibrant colors, depict weathered and tattered items coming to life. The animals' stripes are the blue lines of notebook paper; bright red accents can be found on the girl's dress and the tops of the straight pins. The straightforward text conveys the simplicity and joy of childhood play. Little readers will enjoy looking for the household objects in the illustrations and will eagerly jump in and imagine. The child is light-skinned.

Highlights the boundless potential of a child's creativity, no toys or tablets required. (Picture book. 4-8)" - Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Fatemeh Amiratashani is a very talented and versatile writer, proficient in writing short stories for children. After obtaining her Bachelor in 2009, she took part in some children Literature courses to enhance her writing skills. She is most talented at sketching very strong characters in her tales which are quite memorable. In her tales, the physical characteristics are quite understanding and most fitted to the story plot. She is eager to explore the in-depth psychology of her written subjects. She is used to giving the physical details of the main character to the illustrator which are the representations of the character's internal state. Without that the story plot would be lost. She is also an origami instructor and believes that a large part of her creativity comes from making origami shapes. For her, creating paper origami is a pure source of thought and creativity.

Ghazaleh Bigdelou is a painter and author, holding a bachelor's degree in painting. Initially drawn to painting due to her studies in university. Ghazale discovered her true passion lay in illustration. She found illustration more captivating because it allowed her to imbue her art with stories and connect with a wider audience. Her transition from painting to illustration reflects her commitment to storytelling through her work. Some of her artworks have been featured in catalogs of various exhibitions across the globe. Ghazaleh received Belgrade's Golden Pen plaque for her work on a book entitled "The Joke" (Shabaviz publication) in 2009. Additionally, she was the recipient of an IBBY diploma for the book "An Umbrella with White Butterflies" in 2020. Ghazaleh also participated in a traveling exhibition titled "BIB Japan 2018-2019" with the book "In the Middle of the Corridor." Furthermore, she was honored as the Silver Medal Winner of the 2022 Key Colors Competition, a biennial contest for illustrators of children's books.