The Knight, the Princess, and the Magic Rock

June 18, 2012
The romance of Bijan and Manijeh is found in the Book of Kings (Shahnameh), the national epic poem of Iran. Bijan, a warrior prince, is asked by the king to rid the country of wild boars, which he successfully does. On his way back from his mission, he meets and falls in love with Manijeh, a princess of an enemy kingdom. Rather than be parted from him, Manijeh tricks Bijan into drinking a potion that keeps him with Manijeh. When he is inevitably discovered, he is imprisoned in an underground pit, covered by a magic rock. The knight Rostam eventually rescues him, and the wiser, chastened lovers live happily ever after. Azizi’s retelling of this major Persian tale emphasizes its mythopoeic themes; Sadeghian’s gorgeous color illustrations bring to vivid life both the tale and classical Persian art. Supplemental interpretive commentary gives more mature readers food for spiritual thought. Ages 4-8.

May 15, 2012
Adapting a tale from a national epic such as the Persian Shanameh, or "Book of Kings," is a task that takes great artistry. This effort doesn't quite make the grade. Using an unnecessary frame story, the tale follows the original without the traditional flowery embellishments and can be easily understood. Bijan, a knight, is sent by the Persian king to rid a far-off region of wild boars. During his return, he meets the princess of a neighboring kingdom, Manijeh, but he does not know that she is his enemy's daughter. She daringly brings Bijan into her father's fortress, but the lovers are found out. Bijan is thrown into a pit and covered by a magic rock, and the princess is exiled. She eventually finds the pit and feeds the knight through a hole; the rock is immovable. The Persian king realizes that Bijan is not returning and uses his magical golden cup to see Bijan's plight. He sends Rostam, "the bravest of all knights" to rescue him. Rostam, Bijan and Manijeh return to Persia, and the lovers marry. The paintings, almost too intense in color, are awkwardly rendered and lack the subtle patterned juxtapositions of the Persian miniatures that the artist is trying to imitate. The background note is useful, but the "Interpreting the Story" note will be heavy going for most adults, let alone children, not versed in Persian symbolism. A worthy but not entirely successful attempt to bring the past's wisdom to a new audience. (Folktale. 6-10)

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February 1, 2013

Gr 3-5-Adapted from a long-ago Sufi commentary, this romantic story represents the Persian epic known as the Shanameh, or "Book of Kings." Here a grandfather is the narrator, telling the story of Bijan and Manijeh, the son and daughter of enemy kings, to a small girl and boy. Bijan is first sent to aid far-off farmers whose farms are being destroyed by wild boars. His mission quickly accomplished, he is immediately distracted by beautiful princess Manijeh. Their secret romance is soon discovered, and Bijan is imprisoned in an underground pit sealed with "a magic rock that no one could lift." Banished from the palace, Manijeh searches for him and eventually finds the pit but cannot move the rock. Though the text is wooden as read-aloud fare, the sketchy telling seems to fit the voice of a grandfather. The young children, who are flatly drawn, listeners suggest a far younger audience than would likely follow the story. Prayer, along with considerable coincidence, eventually leads the king's brave knight Rostam to reunite the lovers. The book is reminiscent of old elegant manuscripts with deep-hued colors, generous use of white space and folk motifs, and calligraphic-style letters used for the first word on each page and for all names of characters. Humans and animals are simple and stiff, but smaller circular views swirling on many pages contrast nicely with full-page scenes. The author closes with a page of somewhat confusing interpretation of the story as a possible religious parable. The simplistic telling of the story, though clumsy at times, might interest folktale readers and some storytellers.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

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