Arash the Archer: A Story from Ancient Persia

I loved this book! It's perfect for elementary-school kids who love international folklore. Arash, a twelve-year-old with expert archery skills, is determined to help Persia regain lost land from an intruding enemy nation. His goal-- shoot an arrow far enough to mark the border. He faces numerous twists and turns, including a mythical bird and devious imposters, while learning about his family’s connection to legendary heroes in Persian history. The author packs a lot of history in this fast-paced adventure that also includes Arash’s two loveable friends. I only wish some sketches of the special bow and arrow, beautifully described, were included. All in all, a great book for kids!

“Arash the Archer” is a perfect book for parents and children to bond over at bedtime. The book allowed me to take my seven-year-old daughter into the world of ancient Persia in all of its glory. Here you will find temples of ancient goddesses, the mythical bird Seemorgh, and charismatic characters, many of whom are mentioned in the Avesta. My daughter and I are now reading the second book by Shahriar Bourbour, “Arash the Archer & the Lost Prince.”

You know he's going to shoot the arrow, that's the whole point of the book. So the fact that you want to find out what happens on the way to shooting it tells you it is a good book. Usually translations of retelling older stories leave a less then modern story arc. Like reading the original Cinderella vs. the Disney version. The Disney version has the benefit of modern story telling techniques that make it more exciting, fun, and accessible to kids. The same is the case with Arash. In the book notes you learn that the tale is more of an amalgam of other Persian tales. The result is likely more enjoyable then the originals would be for young readers.

The book is made of small chapters (episodes). It is easily read. The author has used his imagination to tell the story of legendary Iranian heror, Arsh the Archer.He has put into action all the main charaters, such as Abtin, Manouchehr, Simorgh and so on. A few Zoroastrian terms such as Tishtar, Anahita, Ahura Mazda and Ahriman are mentioned in this book.I liked the book. It however could be more attractive to younger readers, having some colurful illustrations, that hopefully will appear in the coming edition.It is a good attempt to bring Iranian legends and mythology to the western readers and childern of Iranian decent.

This book fascinated both my 7 year old (who read it on her own), 4 year old (as a read aloud) AND myself! We quite enjoyed the story as a supplement to our homeschool history lessons about Persia.It is written true to level (8-12), has a great story flow, and is not overly simplistic as others at this age group are. The names are unfamiliar but not difficult. The factual information at the back in the Authors Note was also a great start for further interest into Persian culture and stories.

My son (7) absolutely loved this book, as did I. For months he was almost obsessed with Arash and his story (as told here). Just as modern variants of European tales have been made, Bourbour has done an excellent job in doing so with this ancient and long-celebrated Iranian story while retaining both the essence and the moral. I hope there will be more.

I highly recommend this book. The author has done a great job in telling a story that is engaging for children and grownups alike. The writing style is very pleasant and the sentences flow smoothly. I had planned to read the story to my children before bedtime within a span of 3-4 days. No such luck. The kids did not let me put the book down until it was finished the very first night.

I bought this book for my 10 years old son. I believe this is a perfect way to have a connection between the old Iranian/Persian heritage and the new (out of Iran) generation.The pictures and narrative is absorbing and keep you involved for hours and days.I've read it to my son and he read it himself too several times.

Brilliant book! Amazingly excellent service rendered by the sellers of this product. Highly recommendable.

My 7-year-old loved the story, although he cried at the end. Still, he asks me to read it at bedtime to him.