Review: Lessons about loneliness - and insights into nature!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
Persian author Ahmad Amani both wrote and illustrated this uniquely crafted book that combines visual pleasures with clever philosophical opinions - a book that deserves wide attention. From his biography we learn that Ahmad Amani lives in the Middle East. He is a graduate of the Art University in Tehran. His writings are stories about people, society, and culture - and in this case, nature. The books were written in a new concept and fantasy form. He hopes that his books make us think while enjoying them.Big Fish was so big he couldn't play with the little fishes. Taunted by some bad little boy and girl fishes  Big Fish decided to become bad just so he would have playmates. But that change didn't work because Big Fish became the Big Worst Fish doing all manner of bad things like stealing water from the ocean and all the little bad fishes deserted him. Change - and Big Fish became the Best Fish in the ocean and all the other fishes deserted him. Alone, he talks to the moon who confides that he, the moon, is also alone. Big Fish jumps into the moon and they both have friends at last. But Big Fish notices the moon shrinking and thinking he would be alone again he started to cry. His tears fall on forests, jungles and deserts, and oceans - thousands of years ago. And that is how rain started and falls now even on cities - and maybe tomorrow the tears will fall on our city.It is the simplicity of the story that helps carry the important messages about relationships that makes Ahmad Amani's books work so well. This may seem like a simple story, but read it often and each time a new vantage will come forth. Grady Harp, April 14