New Friend

$18.99 US I $23.99 CN I £13.99 UK

A young Persian boy takes us, his new friend, on a tour of his home where we discover a wonderous new world.

Dear New Friend Text copyright © 2025 Taraneh Matloob Illustrations copyright © 2025 Alida Massari Published in 2025 by Red Comet Press, LLC, Brooklyn, NY All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024939782 ISBN (HB): 978-1-63655-146-3 ISBN (EBOOK): 978-1-63655-147-0 25 26 27 28 29 TLF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Manufactured in China Red Comet Press is distributed by ABRAMS, New York

RedCometPress.com

TARANEH MATLOOB ALIDA MASSARI

Red Comet Press • Brooklyn

Dear new friend, I am excited to have you come over.

When you arrive, first go on the grass, and then walk on the old red bricks.

Pass the big maple trees and you’ll spot our house with the purple flowers at the door.

Knock with the secret knock only we know.

I hope you don’t mind taking off your shoes.

We do this so we don’t get dirt on Dad’s carpet.

When you come over, you will meet my grandma. She does not know English, but she’ll love to meet you.

My grandma likes to hum old Persian songs. She hums when she cooks. Her best dish is roasted chicken with dried cherry and saffron rice.

Would you like some tea? We serve it in tiny glass teacups with a thin gold rim and no handle. Each teacup has a glass saucer.

If you are not allergic to nuts, I recommend Grandma’s walnut cookies.

I’ll teach you how to pick a perfect watermelon.

I love watermelons with many black seeds, and we can go to the backyard and compete.

How far can you spit a seed?

Two feet . . . four feet . . . five feet or more?

Let’s spit them as far as we can. Our seeds might even grow into a new watermelon plant.

Have you ever been to a house with a carpet room? I will show you ours.

There you will see my dad’s loom where he makes his own carpets. The loom has two poles and attached strings. With his skilled fingers, the carpet is made fast.

My dad learned how to weave when he was a young boy.

It took him a lot of practice.

For each carpet, he chooses colorful yarns and patterns.

Grains are a symbol of abundance . . .

Flying birds are good news . . .

A horn is a symbol of power.

A well-made carpet becomes more good-looking as the years go by.

After finishing each carpet, my grandma says, “May your hands be healthy.”

She wishes for Dad to weave more fine carpets.

We can stay in Dad’s carpet room and play Tileh.

Grandma will give each of us a sack of marbles and one big marble that we try to hit.

Just flick your marbles.

The person with the most hits wins.

When the game is over and you are ready to leave, I’ll give you a doosti handicraft.

Doosti means friendship in Persian, and my craft is a paper bridge. A bridge to remember that we are friends.

I think doosti makes our world a friendlier place to be.

You may say, “Shall we cross the bridge?”

I would answer, “Let’s go together.”

PERSIAN WORDS IN THE BOOK Tileh: Sometimes referred to as Tileh Bazi or Tile Bazi, this is a Persian game for children played with marbles, sometimes of differing sizes. The number of players can vary, starting from two people.

Doosti: Friendship.

Doosti handicraft: Any craft that you make on your own that celebrates friendship, like friendship bracelets or, in the case of this story, a paper cut to look like a bridge.

COLORS AND SYMBOLISM IN PERSIAN RUG MAKING Both the colors chosen and the symbols portrayed have multiple layers of meaning. Below is a small sampling: SYMBOLS AND IMAGERY

COLORS

Stars: luck, good fortune Tree of Life: human life Garden of Paradise: heaven Ram horns: power, strength, bravery Lily: purity Peony: power Lotus: rebirth, immortality Camels: wealth, prosperity

Red: joy, wealth, love, beauty, courage, vitality Blue: heavens, afterlife, honesty, solitude, trust Black: power, protection, mourning, destruction Green: a holy color, nature, spring Brown: fertility Yellow: sun, happiness, power Orange: humility, devotion White: purity, cleanliness, spirituality

AUTHOR’S NOTE:: My purpose of writing Dear New Friend was to extend an invitation to connect through friendship, fostering a sense of understanding, empathy, and mutual respect among people from different backgrounds. Through friendship we become capable of transcending cultural barriers, celebrating diversity, and embracing inclusivity. I have crossed the wondrous bridge of friendship before and uncovered treasures beyond imagination. To those who are hesitating or lingering on the edge, I urge you: fear not to cross the bridge. The new world of friendship is worth exploring.

TARANEH MATLOOB is an

associate professor of children’s literature, with a specialty in creative writing and multicultural children’s literature, at the University of Northern Iowa. Taraneh has published several picture books in Persian. Dear New Friend is her first book written in English. Her stories appeal to fans of social, cultural, and emotional representation in picture books. She also serves on the Outstanding International Books (OIB) committee of the United States Board on Books for Young People. Taraneh was born in Tehran, Iran, and now makes her home in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

ALIDA MASSARI is an Italian artist

specializing in illustration for children’s picture books. Alida was born in Rome where she studied art at the European Institute of Design.

She draws inspiration for her work from the architectural details of historic buildings, folk traditions, and ancient art. She describes her work as “modern but with ancient influences.”

She has illustrated many books, collaborating with Italian, English, German, and American publishers. Her books have been published in numerous countries. She lives and works in Rome, Italy. Follow her on Instagram @alidamassari.

RedCometPress.com Jacket Illustrations © Alida Massari • Printed in China

Come inside.

Meet my family.

Welcome to my home.

ISBN 978-1-63655-146-3

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