Saying Goodbye to Madar

De: Layla Sabourian

Narrado por: Devin Piel

Delarai loves visiting Madar every Saturday and enjoys eating the Iranian Shirin Polo she prepares, but one Saturday, her mother tells her they can’t go visit Madar anymore because she’s passed away. Her relationship with Madar is full of tenderness and knowing, and she feels a heartfelt connection to her Iranian heritage at Madar’s funeral in a place her mother calls the cemetery. She’s the only kid invited, and she feels a special kind of pride knowing that Madar will always be with her so long as Shirin Polo exists.

©2021 Layla Sabourian (P)2022 Layla Sabourian

Beautiful story of love, loss, and learning

I've been looking for unique children's books for a while now and stumbled across Saying Goodbye to Madar. I didn't even know what Madar meant - just liked the cover art and was interested in the story because I don't know any Iranian children's books (I'm not Iranian but I wanted to show my younger cousins books from all different countries so they can hear lots of different stories and experiences). This is a really beautiful book for all of us to enjoy together! It tugged on my heartstrings and definitely made me want to get Iranian food! Very much worth sharing with your kids.

Kid-friendly story focused on food, loss, culture

This kid-friendly story focuses on themes of food, loss, and culture, It's great that the intergenerational and intercultural connections we make through food are explored. The story will resonate with anyone who has experienced loss as a child and can be read by parents and kids together. In moments of describing food as a connecting link between generations, cultures, and people, the author really shows rather than tells which is appreciated.