NEW YORK — Roslin Press, a New York-based publishing house known for its Western Armenian publication of The Chronicles of Narnia recently announced its latest publication – Piso, an illustrated book series for children ages 2 and up. The first volume, Pison Kesh Yeraz Ge Desneh (Piso Has a Bad Dream) deals with a very common occurrence in any household with young children. Little Piso sees a very scary dream and turns to his parents for safety.
Author/illustrator Anna Isabekyan has done something very unique in her debut work. She has created a highly interactive Armenian language children’s book. Rather than explicitly laying out the dream that Piso found so terrifying, she does not go into the details of this scary nightmare. She leaves that as a potential discussion between parent and child. The book thus can serve as a starting point for a child to feel comfortable describing his or her feelings with the parents.
The Western Armenian version, edited by Nanor Mikayelian, uses vocabulary that is crisp, clear, and easily understood. This volume is perfect as a read-aloud to children two and up. Even better, the words and expressions have been selected such that it is even easily read by a 6-year old.
Piso is not only a fantastic addition to Western Armenian children’s literature, but with its beautiful illustrations, endearing prose, and interactive subject matter.
During a recent interview, Isabekyan explained why she wrote the book. “I have two little children at home. When my son was born, I would constantly read him stories. As he grew up, I noticed that he was very interested in the colorful pages that I would turn as I read the stories. The years quickly passed, and I noticed that the books grew up with him too — more challenging vocabulary, new characters, more complex stories. He is now 8-years-old and simply in love with books.
