Rostam's Picture-Day Pusteen

by Ryan Bani Tahmaseb, Fateme Mokhles (Illustrator)

Overview

Being the new kid is hard. And wearing something that might seem odd to other kids is even harder.

Rostam and Maman recently moved to the United States, and Baba is still working in Iran. Now it's picture day at school, and Rostam doesn't want to wear his pusteen. Even though Baba wore it when he was little, and it's beautiful and soft, Rostam worries that the other kids will think it's weird.

But sometimes being brave means sharing your whole self with others.

“Distinctive in the way it models children who easily accept and celebrate cultural difference, this is a reassuring tale about sharing the things that make us unique.”—Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, award-winning children’s book author of Mommy’s Khimar and Your Name Is a Song

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632893581
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	07/16/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ryan Bani Tahmaseb is a tutor and consultant, as well as a former librarian and English teacher. He’s also a writer. Ryan is a first-generation Iranian American on his father’s side. His father immigrated from Iran in the 1960s and wore his pusteen in elementary school, which inspired this story. Rostam’s Picture-Day Pusteen is Ryan’s debut book. Ryan and his family live in Maine.

Fateme Mokhles is an illustrator whose passion is teaching art to children through illustrations or in a classroom. She grew up in Iran and speaks Persian. When she's not drawing, she can be found dancing or spending time with her husband and her dog, Lily. www.fatememokhles.weebly.com

Editorial Reviews

05/20/2024

In a videochat with his father, who’s still living in Iran, first grader Rostam and his maman share details of their life three months after moving to the U.S. But though his baba’s praise makes Rostam proud, he shrinks at his mother’s suggestion that he wear his father’s pusteen for picture day. As Maman explains that Iranian shepherds once wore the wool-lined vest (“Baba’s was handmade... to honor our heritage”), Rostam worries about his peers’ reactions. At school, when classmates show interest in the vest, Rostam reminds himself of his bravery and explains the pusteen’s familial and cultural significance. Mokhles’s soft-edged digital images and Tahmaseb’s sensory-oriented text gently underline the child’s feelings of interpersonal courage and intergenerational connection. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A Farsi glossary and author’s note conclude. Ages 3–7. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Rostam is new at school after moving to the United States from Iran with his mother. Picture day is approaching and Rostam's mother as well as his father, who is still in Iran working, want Rostam to wear his pusteen when taking the picture. His mother explains how the pusteen is extremely special as it was passed down to him by his dad, handmade by an artist, and honors their heritage. Still, Rostam prefers to wear jeans and a sweater like the other kids and stuffs his pusteen in his backpack. After arriving at school, Rostam's mother encourages him to put on the pusteen. He does what his mother asks and enters his classroom lacking confidence. Rostam tries not to draw attention to himself but soon his classmates approach and ask about his pusteen. He explains how special it is to him and to his surprise, his classmates do not tease him, instead, they all beg to try it on. Rostam feels like royalty and proudly wears his pusteen for his picture. He leaves school feeling brave and tells his parents he plans to wear his pusteen forever. Inspired by Bani Tahmaseb's own childhood, this story encourages children to be brave and share who they are with others. Being different can feel scary, but it is what makes you special. This is an amazing book for any classroom. Children will find confidence in celebrating their uniqueness and appreciate others for their differences.
—Children's Literature


In a videochat with his father, who’s still living in Iran, first grader Rostam and his maman share details of their life three months after moving to the U.S. But though his baba’s praise makes Rostam proud, he shrinks at his mother’s suggestion that he wear his father’s pusteen for picture day. As Maman explains that Iranian shepherds once wore the wool-lined vest (“Baba’s was handmade... to honor our heritage”), Rostam worries about his peers’ reactions. At school, when classmates show interest in the vest, Rostam reminds himself of his bravery and explains the pusteen’s familial and cultural significance. Mokhles’s soft-edged digital images and Tahmaseb’s sensory-oriented text gently underline the child’s feelings of interpersonal courage and intergenerational connection. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A Farsi glossary and author’s note conclude.
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher