TEHRAN -- Four books by 
Iranian authors have been selected for the 2026 edition of The White Ravens, the annual catalogue of notable international children’s and young adult literature published by Munich’s International Youth Library.
The annual selection features more than 200 books from around 50 countries and regions and in more than 40 languages. The titles are selected by specialists at the International Youth Library for their literary and artistic qualities and for their relevance to an international readership.
The four Iranian titles included in this year’s catalogue are Farhad Hasanzadeh’s The Suitcase Mix-up, published by Ketabkhorha; Mehdi Hejvani’s We Are All Birds, published by Ofoq; Muhammad-Reza Shafiei Kadkani’s In Hamesheha va Bisheha, published by Mirmāh; and Ali-Asghar Seidabadi’s The Sun of the Forest, the Sun of the Sea, published by Toūti.
The Suitcase Mix-up tells the story of Gisoo from Iran and Ibis from Cuba, whose suitcases are accidentally exchanged at an airport.
We Are All Birds follows a war-affected child in a refugee camp who sees birds as symbols of home and freedom.
In Hamesheha va Bisheha (These Always and Groves), a collection of poems by Shafiei Kadkani, explores nature, home and homeland. The Sun of the Forest, the Sun of the Sea tells the story of two cities located on opposite sides of a mountain, whose differing perceptions and interpretations of the world eventually lead them toward war.
The books selected for The White Ravens are presented in an English-language catalogue for publishers, booksellers, librarians and other professionals in the international children’s-book industry. The International Youth Library describes the selection as a way of drawing attention to books with particular literary or artistic qualities and works addressing themes of international relevance.
The selected titles are also presented at international book-industry events, including the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, where the International Youth Library showcases books from its White Ravens selection to an international professional audience.
The selection of Persian-language books for The White Ravens is overseen by Roya Maktabifard, a former faculty member in library and information science at Kharazmi University who has worked for several years as a specialist for Persian-language children’s books at the International Youth Library.
The inclusion of four Iranian books in the 2026 catalogue adds to the library’s continuing presentation of Persian-language children’s literature to an international audience. The White Ravens database includes previous selections from Iran, including works by Farhad Hasanzadeh and other Iranian authors and illustrators.