Rashin Kheiriyeh
Rashin Kheiriyeh was born in Khorramshahr, Iran. She received a PhD in illustration and MFA in graphic design from Alzahra University in Tehran. She has published over eighty books in countries around the world and created illustrations for The New York Times. Rashin was named a 2017 Maurice Sendak Fellow and was the winner of the New Horizon Award at the Bologna Book Fair. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and lives in Washington, DC.
Reviews
This Baby, That Baby
“Best (Bug Off!) opens this double infant portrait with two babies greeting each other from their respective fifth-floor apartment windows, “somewhere/ in the big, big city/ across a beep-beep street.” One infant, “this baby,” has dark brown skin and curly black hair that “bounces when he giggles.” The other, “that baby,” has light brown skin and sports a floppy red hat that “falls off/ when she wiggles.” Via stylized multimedia spreads predominated by browns, blues, and reds, Kheiriyeh (A Persian Passover) draws this baby and his mama, who “sing about a baby whale,” and that baby and her papa, who sing “the baby shark song.” Across the street from one another, they have their diapers changed, eat, and respond to nap time. And when both parent/child duos head to the park, “Look who’s here!” and “Look who’s there!” This buoyant slice-of-life tale interweaves the duo’s temperamental differences, love of joyful noise, and patient caregivers against the background of a city’s cheerful hubbub, underscoring the ways that proximity can contribute to relationships and interactions.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“A jaunty, rhythmic text sets the mood for considering similarities and differences among people . . . Rich, textured mixed-media art showcases an urban environment full of color, music, and life. The two babies set about their similarly structured but individual days. They both like games and songs, but not the same ones. They both require frequent diaper changes, get hungry, and need naps. The illustrations create humorous distinctions in the parallel routines, and the well-paced story offers plenty of room to pause and notice these details. When one baby’s nap ends in tears and the other’s failed nap ends in grumpiness, both are whisked out for walks headed in opposite directions. In an appropriate conclusion to this cheerful compare-and-contrast story, the babies end up at the same park bench, each delighted to see the other.”—The Horn Book
“Two babies, two lives, and a special day of shared greetings and friendships. ‘Somewhere / in the big, big city / across a beep-beep street / along two bumpy sidewalks’ live this baby and that baby, who greet each other from opposite-facing apartment windows. This baby has deep brown skin and “a lot of curly black hair,” similar to his Mama’s. That baby has beige skin and straight dark hair, similar to her Papa’s. Together the babies lead boisterous, bouncy lives in which they eat (definitely!), nap (eventually!), and play (always!). Their loving, watchful single parents take them on a walk through the neighborhood to a playdate at the park, in a spread designed like a map that invites readers to follow their adventures. Lending itself to multiple readings, Best’s effervescent text captures the peppy rhythms on each detail-packed spread, often split between this baby’s experience (on the left page) and that baby’s (on the right). Using a classic throwback palette of muted reds and blues, set against a cream background, Kheiriyeh’s illustrations are endearingly hilarious (especially a spread on which Papa seems aggrieved at the frequency at which he needs to change his little one’s diaper). The parallel lives of these two families reverberate with a sense of community and camaraderie desperately needed in today’s divided world, accompanied by a soundtrack of giggles, wails, and banging drums. Utterly irresistible.”—Kirkus, Starred Review
Grandmothers Galore
“A house full of grandmothers work together to solve a mystery. A yellow envelope arrives at Hollyhock House addressed to “the greatest grandmother in the world.” This sends its residents into a tizzy. While the house is full of grandmothers, none use that particular name. Abuela, Bibi, Nana, and the other grandmothers resort to trickery in order to claim the letter as their own. After the others catch Grammy trying to make off with the letter in the night, the grandmothers decide it is time to find the sender once and for all. They host a big birthday party for their families (in honor of “anyone who has a birthday this year”), and the house fills with music, food, and hugs. All the while, the yellow envelope sits on a table, waiting to be claimed. With their silly antics and fondness for cake, these grandmothers will make readers laugh and think of their own Bubbie or Nai Nai. Kheiriyeh’s delightfully vibrant block-print and collage illustrations capture the chaotic joy of a house full of grandmothers, all resplendent in memorable outfits, from neon pink or lime green get-ups to feathered scarves. Grandmothers and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are diverse in skin tone, body shape, and physical ability; some grandmothers use canes, walkers, and wheelchairs. A colorful, zany, and loving celebration of grandmothers.”― Kirkus Reviews
Welcome Home
“Relatives welcome their newest family member in this moving picture book in rhyme. From mother and father to siblings, grandparents, extended family, and neighbors, a jolly crew of friendly faces sociably greet a tan-skinned, rosy-cheeked infant with reiterative phrasing: “ ‘Welcome home,’ say the sisters,/ excited to see/ the adorable baby/ atop Mama’s knee.” Oceanic blues, peachy pinks, and sunny yellows infuse Kheiriyeh’s whimsical multimedia paintings, which depict relations of varied skin tones (including the baby’s Black and white siblings) and exaggerated body proportions lavishing attention on the eager, active newborn . . . an irresistible picture of community is formed, amplifying the book’s message of earnest affection and welcome.”― Publishers Weekly