Mahdi Azar Yazdi

Books Azar-Yazdi's most famous work was Good Stories for Good Children written in eight volumes based on several works of Persian literature, including Kalila wa Dimna, Gulistan, Masnavi-e Ma'navi, Marzban-Nameh, Sinbad-Nameh, Qabus-Nameh, Maqalat of Shams Tabrizi, Jami'-ul-Hikayat, Siyasat-Nameh, and some stories from the Quran and the life of Muhammad and The Fourteen Infallibles. The book won a UNESCO award in 1966.

Good Stories for Good Children has been translated into various languages, including Spanish, Armenian, Chinese, and Russian.

Azar Yazdi planned to write other volumes for the series.

He was also author of The Naughty Cat, The Playful Cat, Simple Stories, Poetry of Sugar and Honey and Masnavi of Good Children.

Another one of his works, Adam, was chosen as the best book of the year in 1968.

Personal life

Noted author of children's books Mehdi Azar-Yazdi was born in 1921 in Yazd. His ancestors were among Zoroastrians who converted to Islam. He learned to read and write from his father and later continued his studies on his own. While a teenager, he spent his time reading books, including Quran, Mafatih-ul-Jinan, Masnavi, Saadi Shirazi's works, and Divan of Hafez. In 1944, he left his hometown and came to live in Tehran. Azar Yazdi worked as a construction worker and a simple laborer in sock-weaving workshops, publishing houses and bookshops. He worked for noted publishing houses like Amir Kabir, Ashrafi and Etella'at. and his body is buried in his hometown, Yazd.

The day of his death has been chosen as the National Day of the Children's Literature.

Awards Azar Yazdi achieved national and international acclaim, most notably receiving the UNESCO Prize in 1964 for his seminal work, Good Stories for Good Children. In addition to this honor, he was also the recipient of the Children's Book Council of Iran Award. Azar Yazdi's legacy has been commemorated through various tributes and city landmarks; streets in Yazd and Tehran have been named in his honor. Furthermore, in recognition of his influence on Iranian literature, the anniversary of his death, July 8, has been officially designated as the National Day of Children's and Young Adult Literature in Iran.