This book is just what I was looking for. I am constantly trying to find books from other cultures to include in my classroom so that my students are represented and can see others. The illustrations were beautiful and the story was well told.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the retelling of the Rumi original. Bright colorful pictures. A fun read for kids.

Such a great retelling with lovely illustrations! Rare to see stories like this from other parts of the world so it was nice to read this book. The message is a good one and young readers will like the clever parrot. Cute book!

My Thoughts
This is a clever tale retold so very well to fit the here and now and its audience as well. A female protagonist replaces the original merchant to lend a twist to this story. It is retold simply and sweetly while still retaining its original mood and message.

This book shows how timeless and universal stories can be. Vafaeian’s bright, gorgeous yet quirky illustrations are full of color and details and oddities you don’t want to miss. I know I want to hold the physical copy of this book to enjoy the illustrations over and over again.

A story that teaches of love , of freedom, and of letting go without being preachy; and with eye-catching illustrations is certainly one worth reading – for all ages.

Note: Some of the illustrations seem a bit gloomier or darker (sometimes a little creepy though not to the point of being scary), but they complement the text perfectly.

In Summary
A book that is a wonderful gift for yourself or others. A great addition to any library.

Rating: 5/5
Reading Level: 7 – 11 years (and above!)
Reread Level: 5/5 (those gorgeous, creative, detail-filled illustrations)

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital review copy of the book. These are my honest opinions.

I didn't care for this title. The lesson is a good one, but it's extremely short, and I found the illustrations a little creepy. This story belongs in a collection with other short stories.

I teach a lot of old traditional literature but I have to say that this one was not very exciting, nor was it easy to determine a moral or lesson. This would not be my choice of book to use to teach any of the traditional lit standards.

The original story is written by a renowned poet Rumi. The story was adapted and illustrated by Marjan Vafaian. The casting of a female lead as a merchant gave a new twist to the story and I could not guess the ending until the middle of the story. The artwork by the author is unique. I loved the colorful dresses of the merchant. I feel that this book would be more beautiful in physical form rather than reading it digitally.

The Parrot and the Merchant is a beautifully illustrated picture book written by Marjan Vafaeian. In this story Mah Jahan, a rich merchant, travels far from her area to trade her goods. She is also known for the numerous colorful birds that she keeps. Mah Jahan leaves for a very important trip and makes sure to ask her servants and favorite bird what she could bring them from her travels. Her bird gives her a message to share with his fellow birds. This is a beautiful story both in word and in picture. It shows Mah Jahan learning a valuable lesson on how to treat those that you love.

I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this book. The illustrations are so unusual, especially in a children’s book. The story is sad. It's a centuries old fable retold for today's generation. A parrot is captured and taken to another land. When its captor asks if it wants anything from its homeland, it requests messages of help from his parrot family. All the parrot wants is to be free. It eventually gets free, and the woman who captured him is happy because of love, but … there is just something that turns me off.

I received an electronic ARC from Tiny Owl Publishing through NetGalley.
Highly detailed illustrations support this retelling of the legend by Rumi. The merchant loves birds and keeps them in cages. She is especially fond of the parrot who talks with her. When the merchant prepares for a buying trip to India, she asks the parrot what she wants brought back. The parrot asks that she speak with the parrots there. The merchant does so and brings back the tale of a parrot dropping "dead" from sadness. The parrot drops as well and is freed from her cage.
The message of freedom is universal. Early readers will appreciate the colorful illustrations and story. Older readers will appreciate the story and the message beyond the story.
The translation seems true to the original story and lesson to be shared.

The Parrot and the Merchant is an old legend tells with stunning illustrations and a focus on how we show our love to others. When a merchant catches and keeps things she loves, she doesn't realize how much pain she is causing them. On one journey she asks her most beloved parrot what he would like and he asks for advice from his friends he left behind. Through an odd exchange the Merchant's parrot and up free and she realizes it is the right thing to do because she loves him.

Clever, clever tale! All ages will enjoy this story! I love when people rewrite Rumi's works to fit their own cultures. Rumi was truly a gifted writer with universal appeal. The illustrations were wonderful. I think this is a book for both my private collection and a suggestion for my library!

Vafaeian's illustrations and re-telling of Rumi's poem is quite entertaining and fun. I love reading old stories, retold for modern readers. The Parrot and the Merchant has a theme that many books do: if you truly love something, you set it free. I love the story, but do not really care for the illustrations. They are nice, but the one-eyed merchant illustrations are just odd.

Thank you NetGalley and Tiny Owl Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

This is a retelling of a Persian folktale, about a merchant likes to keep her pretty birds all locked up in cages. The parrot is unhappy, and misses his companions.

So, when the merchant gets ready to go forth again, she asks the parrot what he would like from his travels, and he says he would like to hear word from his friends.

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-4895" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-15-at-9.36.22-AM-1024x510.png" alt="The parrot and the merchant" />

In the end, the parrot finds a way to not be cadged, as that is what he has been this whole time.

And the merchant learns that having the parrot free is not that bad.

A cute tale about freedom and imprisonment.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.