Lucine Kasbarian’s Greedy Sparrow is a tale for children
Published: Monday February 28, 2011
A page from Greedy Sparrow.
Teaneck, N.J. – An Armenian folktale retold by Armenian-American
writer Lucine Kasbarian and illustrated by Moscow-based artist Maria
Zaikina debuts with Marshall Cavendish Children’s Publishers in April
2011.
The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale is from the ancient Armenian oral
tradition and culture, which was nearly obliterated during the Turkish
genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in 1915. The author
learned the tale from her father, editor and columnist C.K. Garabed,
who would recite it to her at bedtime. He had learned it from his own
grandmother, a celebrated storyteller from the Old Country. The tale
was first put to paper by Armenian poet Hovhannes Toumanian at the
turn of the 20th century.
The Greedy Sparrow is the first time this tale has been presented in
the English language as a children’s picture book. The story begins in
old Armenia with a sparrow who catches a thorn in his foot. As he asks
for help, he sets off an intriguing cycle of action that transports
him through the Armenian countryside, encountering people engaged in
traditional folkways. The Greedy Sparrow ends with a surprising twist
and conveys moral messages about greed, selfishness and using one’s
judgment. To address the ethical and human components of the tale, a
discussion and activity guide will be available on the author’s
website,
Though intended for readers ages 4 through 8, noted Sesame Street host
and storyteller Bob McGrath says that “The Greedy Sparrow is actually
for everyone. It’s clever and humorous, and the wonderful
illustrations not only add color but also truly interpret the story
line.” The fable is lavishly illustrated with authentic depictions of
Armenian folk traditions by Moscow-based animator and illustrator,
Maria Zaikina, who was selected to illustrate The Greedy Sparrow after
the author and publisher viewed her Armenian folk animations on
YouTube:
Author Kasbarian is a syndicated journalist and Director-on-Leave from
Progressive Book Publicity. A graduate of the NYU Journalism program,
she is the former Director of Publicity for Red Wheel, Weiser and
Conari Press, and previously was Publicity and Marketing Manager at
Hearst Books. Kasbarian is also the author of Armenia: A Rugged Land,
an Enduring People (Dillon Press/Simon & Schuster, 1998) and was a
contributing editor for Cobblestone magazine’s special issue, the
Armenian Americans (Carus Publishing, 2000). The granddaughter of
Armenian genocide survivors, Kasbarian has held leadership positions
in the Armenian Youth Federation and the Land & Culture Organization.
Among other organizations, she belongs to the National Writer’s Union,
the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, and the Women’s
National Book Association.
The author and her husband, journalist David Boyajian, live in
Belmont, Massachusetts and Teaneck, New Jersey. For the production of
The Greedy Sparrow, the author served as the model for the
illustrator’s rendering of the bride’s features. The bride’s wedding
costume in the book bears a strong resemblance to that of the author’s
own folkloric bridal gown.
The Greedy Sparrow is a 32-page illustrated hardcover book, available
by mid-March, 2011 through brick-and-mortar and online booksellers, as
well as through the publisher for $17.99 US; $20.95 CANADA. To order
through the publisher, contact: Janet Kelly, Order Department,
Marshall Cavendish Corp., 99 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591;
Phone: (800) 821-9881 x 325; [email protected],
Tom Vartabedian spoke with Lucine Kasbarian about her work:
TV: How did you learn of this tale and what made you want to retell it?
LK: Long before I knew who Hovhannes Toumanian was, my father would
tell me this story at bedtime in his family dialect. His grandmother,
Hadji Touma Kazanjian, was a celebrated storyteller in Dikranagerd.
She would recite this tale and other tales from Western Armenia to my
father when he was a child, often while singing and dancing. Toumanian
collected stories from the Armenian oral tradition — the sparrow’s
tale included — and wrote them down, many for the first time. Since
we descendants of genocide survivors have few tangible heirlooms, the
sparrow’s tale is especially precious to me. So I dedicated `The
Greedy Sparrow’ to my forebears, great-grandmother and father. I
wanted to retell this tale because it contains timeless lessons for
everyone, not just for children.
TV: Why does your retelling end differently from the popular version
of the tale?
LK: As ALMA curator Gary Lind-Sinanian will attest, not all folk tales
have a moral to the story. Some were just fantastical, outrageous or
stood up for the underdog. The original tale of the sparrow contained
the same lesson as `The Greedy Sparrow,’ my original composition, yet
I chose to present a variant of this tale — which was also in the
oral tradition — because it most clearly conveyed that manipulation
and dishonesty have their consequences. And unlike how the tale has
been told orally, my version incorporates native Armenian landmarks to
introduce readers to our patrimony. The wedding, for example, takes
place on the island of Aghtamar, a place of great significance for all
Armenians and very much in the news lately.
TV: Tell us about the illustrations.
LK: I gave my publisher an illustrated storyboard and authentic
Armenian images, which our illustrator faithfully followed while
putting her unique stamp on the book. I had suggested the superb Maria
Zaikina to my publisher some time after the Armenian Poetry Project’s
Lola Koundakjian first pointed me to Maria’s folk animations. The
publishers immediately loved Zaikina’s work and hired her.
From: A. Papazian
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?furl=/go/article/2011-02-28-lucine-kasbarian-s-greedy-sparrow-is-a-tale-for-children-&pg=3
www.lucinekasbarian.com.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ5NAXT9pLs&feature=player_embedded.
www.marshallcavendish.us/kids.