Under the Cherry Blossom Tree - Large Print by Morteza Javadi (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A boy and a girl, Menashi and Ahnami, from two opposing Asian cultures, fall in love at the end of a four hundred year battle. As the two form a truce that is sealed with a kiss, the two help their warring factions come together on the islands of Japan, in present day Hokkaido region. With beautifully illustrated water color and with Asian inspired scenic detail, this Eastern author takes us on a journey in time to a world filled with tumultuous wartime history between the Ainu and Wajin tribal factions.

Review Quotes

"Beautiful visually, a great homage to culture and home."- Masaki Takahashi, Poet Laureate of Lansing, Michigan"Morteza Javadi's poetry and Steven Dragan's illustrations combine to tell a tender, hopeful story of young lovers, set in medieval Japan. A Wajin boy and an Ainu girl fall in love and seek to bridge the divide between their two cultures in a time of war. This book introduces young readers to the proudly independent Ainu and the Wajin peoples of northern Japan, who have a rich history independent of the rest of the country. The reader hopes that Menashi and Ahnami will meet again and again."-Ann Marti Friedman, Author of "A Fine Tapestry of Murder" (2018), "An Artist in Her Own Right" (2021), Accent Press."Morteza's poetic words carry an amazing message. One that not only creates an awareness of Eastern Asian culture for children but for a wide range of people. Offering them an opportunity to appreciate how epic legendary and mythological pathways of culture are relevant and inextricably woven into their lives.At the same time, he effectively demonstrates how cultural divides can be overcome through the beauty of simple human interaction. Javadi has planted another desperately needed Cherry Blossom seed. One devoid of shame and stigma!"-Steve Nash, Mental Health Advocate, Member of the NCPD Council on Mental Illness and Wellness, Complex Trauma Coach and Group Facilitator, and Lay Minister.