Nowruz is a holiday filled with family, food, and fresh starts for everyone. If your family is feeling inspired by this season of newness, it might be time to learn more about this festive celebration. To get you—and your kids—started, we’ve picked out six Persian New Year children’s books.
Persian New Year Children’s Books: Learning the Basics
What does Norwuz mean? What are the traditions and when did they start? These fun and colorful books introduce the basics of the holiday.
Norooz: A Celebration of Spring! The Persian New Year by Gail Hejazi, Illustrated by Christina Cavallo
Not only will you and your kids get a peek at modern Persian New Year customs, but you’ll also learn the origins of a holiday that’s been celebrated for thousands of years. The author even includes a helpful pronunciation guide.
The Meaning of Nowruz by Anahita Tammaddon
The spirit of Nowruz is captured in this book’s gorgeous, colorful illustrations. The accompanying text—in both English and Farsi—introduces kids to the beauty of the spring holiday and reminds them of how nature, family, and friends can inspire them to make a fresh start.
My Persian Haft Seen: An Iranian Nowruz Tradition by Susanne Shirzad
This book focuses on a special Persian New Year tradition: the Haft Seen table. Through short poetic descriptions, young readers will learn about the seven items—each one a symbol of renewal—that make up this traditional display. A parent’s guide provides further explanation.
Persian New Year Children’s Books: Activity and Coloring Books
Invite your kids to explore Nowruz traditions through creative activities.
Nowruz Coloring and Activity Book: Coloring Book for Kids with 18 Pages of Fun by Shereen Khundmiri
Celebrate Nowruz with coloring pages, a word search, a maze, and more—all centered around Persian New Year traditions. Printed on single sided pages to prevent bleed-through, this book is a perfect gift to share during the holiday.
Leila’s Nowruz Adventure: Activity and Coloring Book by Solmaz Parveen
Not only will kids get to follow along with Leila as she and her family prepare for Nowruz, they’ll get to do their part, too. Through more than 100 pages of word and number games, drawing and doodling activities, mazes, coloring pages, and more, kids learn about all kinds of Persian New Year traditions, including cleaning the house, planting seeds, and cooking a feast.
Persian New Year Children’s Books: Stories and Adventures
Nowruz celebrations come to life through the eyes of these original characters.
The New Year’s Goldfish: A Nowruz Story by Solmaz Parveen, illustrated by Tata Bobokhidze
Keyan couldn’t be more excited about tomorrow: Persian New Year. As his family cleans the house and buys new clothes, Keyan tries to help, but doesn’t always get everything right. Can he make up for all of it by picking out the very best goldfish for their home’s Half Seen display?
Niko’s Nifty Nowruz by Sheila Salamat, illustrated by Kaveh Taherian
Just one of three books about an Iranian American boy named Niko, this story of preparing for Persian New Year is told in playful rhyme and accompanied by colorful illustrations.
The Story of Spring and Norooz (An Untold Tale of Persian New Year) by Nazanin Mirsadeghi, illustrated by Sanam Hooshvar
A unique take on Persian New Year stories, this is the tale of Bahar—a name that means “spring”—who lives in the sky and sleeps all year, until the day before Nowruz. And that’s when her adventures begin. Whether or not you observe Nowruz, once you’ve read these stories and traditions, you and your family will be inspired to embrace this season of rebirth and renewal. Happy Persian New Year! If you want to dig deeper into books about Iran, check out these posts: 9 Books About Iran to Help You Understand Current Events 10 Essential Books To Read From Iran
