Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story

by Adib Khorram, Zainab Faidhi (Illustrator)

A picture book celebrating Persian New Year by award-winning author Adib Khorram

Kian can't wait for Persian New Year! His family has already made a haft-seen, and Kian's baba and maman told him that all the things on it start with S and will bring them joy in the new year. Kian wonders if he could add just one more S, to make his family even happier. Hmm . . . Sonny the cat's name starts with S--but Sonny knocks the whole table over! Can Kian find seven special somethings to make a new haft seen before his family arrives for their Nowruz celebration?

Genres: Picture Books, Holiday, Family, Food, Childrens, Fiction, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2021

About the author

ADIB KHORRAM is the author of DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY, which earned the William C. Morris Debut Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature, and a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor, as well as a multitude of other honors and accolades. His followup, DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER, received three starred reviews, was an Indie Bestseller, and received a Stonewall Honor. His debut picture book, SEVEN SPECIAL SOMETHINGS: A NOWRUZ STORY was released in 2021. When he isn’t writing, you can find him learning to do a Lutz jump, practicing his handstands, or steeping a cup of oolong. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where people don’t usually talk about themselves in the third person. You can find him on Twitter (@adibkhorram), Instagram (@adibkhorram), or on the web at adibkhorram.com.

Reviews

[Taasia ✨]

I'm a simple girl - if I see Adib Khorram's name, I will break the world record for hitting that want to read button.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Iranian-American family prepare for Nowruz - Persian New Year - in this sweet holiday picture-book. As young Kian helps his parents get ready, the significance of the objects on his family's haft-seen - a symbolic Nowruz display made up of seven items, all beginning with the Persian letter "sin" (or "seen"), and each representing some desirable quality or blessing that is hoped for in the coming year - is explained to him. Thinking that he will introduce the family cat, Sonny, to this display, Kian inadvertently makes a terrible a mess. Now he must find seven things to replace what he has destroyed - things beginning with the letter "s," that represent his family and the love they have for one another...

Although I have read a number of picture-books set at the Chinese New Year, at Tet (Vietnamese New Year), and at Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), not to mention stories about the Western solar New Year, Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story is the first title I have encountered about the Persian New Year. I was therefore very glad to discover it, especially when I realized that its author, Adib Khorram, had also written the teen novel, Darius the Great Is Not Okay , which has been recommended to me many times by colleagues and friends in the children's literature world. However that may be, I found the story here engaging, appreciating both the cultural knowledge imparted in the narrative, and the tale itself, which involved a very modern young boy and his family's old-world traditions. The accompanying artwork from expatriate Iraqi illustrator Zainab Faidhi is expressive and cute, in a cartoonish way. I particularly liked the depiction of Kian's cat, who can be seen on every two-page spread.

All in all, an appealing story set at Nowruz - the first of what I hope will be many! Recommended to picture-book readers looking for tales about the Persian New Year and/or featuring Iranian-American children.

[Totahly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story by Adib Khorram is such an endearing children’s book about Kian’s excitement for the Persian New Year. Kian spells and sounds out ‘seven special somethings’ in Farsi to set the haft-seen. Nowruz, when everything is new, is a celebration of the beginning of Spring. So rich and full of cultural

My children and I listened to it while doing laundry. We played it several times so they could learn some new Persian words. This book helped explained the beauty of the Persian New Year, while celebrating its beautiful traditions. Such a cute book!

Highly recommend for all kids!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that we have New Year's Day shortly after the solstice. But I think that having it on the first day of spring is even better, esp. if cleaning house is part of the tradition. I also like that I'm reading this in January, so I will be able to remember the Special Symbols and incorporate them in an homage to Nowruz when spring comes to us. And I appreciate the author's note that we can come up with our own symbols.

I love OKC library as it reaches out to diverse communities by buying books like this.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven Special Somethings is a Nowruz celebration story. Nowroz, “new day,” is celebrated every March 21st, on the first day of spring. Like the Jewish menorah or the Christian Christmas tree, Persians set their table with a sofreh haft-seen, seven items that start with S. Sabzeh (sprouts) for rebirth, serkeh (vinegar) for patience, seer (garlic) for health, sumaq (spice) for sunshine, samanoo (pudding) for bravery, sib (apple) for beauty, and sekkeh (coins) for wealth. But more than a table setting, the most significant “Ss” of Nowroz is “spending” time together with family and friends and “sharing” love and happiness and best wishes for the new year. Serve with chai tea and baklava!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was super cute. A fun look into a beautiful tradition and holiday with gorgeous illustrations and explanations of what each item means. I will read anything Adib Khorram puts his name on at this point, so glad I was able to read this one, as well. Sweet story about family.

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet story about what Nowruz is and its true meaning.

[Nathan Bartos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not familiar with Nowruz, but from an outside perspective, this felt like a good (and sweet) introduction to the celebration. The art is also adorable.

[isaac⁷ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

just about a persian kid trying to understand nowruz and then do something sweet for his family.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is super cute :)

[❄Elsa Frost❄]

Wait, NEW book?? What?? How? When? :O

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story about Persian New Year. It feels pitch-perfect from a young child's perspective. I love the way the young boy Kian solves the problem he inadvertently created (and that no one is really upset with him since he never meant to do anything wrong) and, along the way, he thinks about what makes each family member special, what is meaningful about his relationship with them and what makes their family so loving. It's so sweet and genuine. I love the idea of the haft-seen table with the Seven Special Somethings that help bring joy and prosperity to the new year. The illustrations are fun and expressive.
You can check out Ms. Abby's reading of this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdA5v... (Thank you to Serena for bringing this to my attention!) Abby's family is from Iran and celebrates Nowruz and I appreciate that she brings some background knowledge to share with her audience, including a photo of her own haft-seen table. I read the book to myself first so I could see how it read without the background information and I really liked it, but I shared the YouTube reading with my boys because I wanted them to listen to the background she shared as well as the proper pronunciation of the words. (If I have a criticism of the book -- a small criticism -- it's that no pronunciation guide was included. Of course, now we have internet and can look these things up but I guess I'm old-school and like to have it in the book itself.) Anyway, it's a delight of a book and one I definitely recommend!

[Taylor Galloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very heartwarming story that touches on the celebration of culture, traditions, and family. Kian and his family were getting ready for Nowruz, which "is the start of spring". To help celebrate they created a haft-seen with Seven-S's , that they hoped would make them happy in the new year. When Kian tries to add his cat, Sonny to the haft-seen things do not go as planned and everything gets knocked over. So, Kian goes around the house finding more items that start with an S to add to the haft-seen. Kian's family appreciated that he replaced the items with things that seemed to represent the family perfectly.

The illustrations in this story are very bright and colorful. We see traditional Persian fabrics, being used in the story from the illustrations of the rugs to the table clothes. Also, we can see movement being depicted in the illustrations especially on the double page spread where the cat knocks over the haft-seen. Through the use of the illustrator's brush stroke readers can see the movement of the tablecloth

I would include this book inside my classroom library for many reasons. This story could be used to introduce students to the celebration of Nowruz Also, it could be used to introduce Persian traditions and words.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrations are detailed and colorful. Kian, a young boy, is celebrating the start of spring, the Persian New Year known as Nowruz, with his family, but he messes up the haft-seen, so he finds 7 items that start with S to symbolize what will make them happy in the new year. He finds things around the house but struggles to find the 7th one until after dinner, when they smile in front of the new haft-seen Kian created for his parents, his grandparents, his cat, and him to enjoy! Showcases what families typically do for Nowruz, including the 7 items on the sofreh haft-seen with descriptions for why they have them (sabzeh, sprouts, for rebirth, for example). It's a relatable story and cute, showing the warmth of family and personalizing traditions. The book ends with an author's note briefly describing Nowruz, haft-seen, and the heart of Nowruz - "gathering together with the people you love to wish for happiness in the coming year." It is a little bit lengthy for a storytime, so I'd suggest dividing it into 2 parts.

[Elizabeth]

I had never read a Nowruz picturebook before (though Googling informs me that this is not the first), and this is a fun introduction.

Kian's Maman has set seven things on a table in the living room and explains that, "Nowruz is the start of spring, when everything is new again. The Seven S's on the table are symbols. We hope they will make us happy in the new year."

Kian wonders, "Why only seven symbols? If I found more S's, could I make our new year happier?"

The first thing that starts with S that Kian finds is their cat -- who knocks over the table, so Kian tries to find new things to set up a new haft-seen. Both text and illustrations are engaging -- and sweet, but not cloyingly so.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I'd read Adib Khorram's Darius the Great is Not Okay, and I wanted to see what his other books were like. I found this picture book to be rather interesting as I do not know much about the Persian culture, customs, or holidays. I liked the angle of the child's concept of the holiday, and how to fix things when he messes them up. It was cute and endearing.

Side note: the book is illustrated by Zainab Faidhi who also worked on animating The Breadwinner, a movie featured on Netflix not long ago, adapted from the book written by Deborah Ellis, which I finished just a few days ago. Powerful story. Heartbreaking. The world needs more stories like these.

[Ettak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story revolves around a young boy, Kian, and his family and the Nowruz tradition of Haft-sin: Haft (seven) items beginning with "s" (sin) symbolic of wishes for the New Year.
When Kian tries to add an unusual eight item to his family's Haft-sin spread to increase the well wishes, something unexpected happens.
Kian tries his best to replace the original Haft-sin with seven new items which begin with S.
Sweet story family, traditions and a good intentioned little boy.
And things which begin with "S", both in Farsi and English!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possible contender for the Mock Caldecott Awards in January 2022. An adorable tale about how Persians (from Iran) start the new year. A table is set with 7 items which each start with "S" to represent the benefits everyone wants to experience in the new year. When Kian decides to add his cat Sonny to the collection things do not go well and Kian knows he must now find 7 new S items to replace those the cat destroyed. Although the items were much different than the original ones, his family thought they were perfect for their family!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this vignette of a Persian family preparing to celebrate Nowruz. Nice to see that Kian is not punished for his attempt to add to the family haft-seen, when the cat causes chaos. Author Adib Khorram's narration works well, pronouncing all of the Farsi for reader/listeners unfamiliar with the Persian language. Best used independently from the text, initially, looking at the illustrations adds a lot of charm. (Listened to as a reviewer on Volumes)

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet family Nowruz story digging into and remaking (after cat-and-child-induced chaos) one of the main traditions, the haft-seen.

I appreciated that this was pretty low-drama. Kian isn't too worried about his family being upset, more about remaking the haft-seen, and the family members indeed aren't upset. There's a lot of appreciation for Kian's creativity and thoughtfulness in finding S things that represent the family and good wishes for the new year.

[Yolotzin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute! I really want baklava now. The artwork did have me assuming this was an older book, but it's actually from 2021. I love the explanation of Nowruz, and how the original 7 items were given in Arabic with the English translation in parentheses and the description explaining what each item represented. The kid was cute, I love that, like dad said, they were all represented at the end of the day on the table. Also enjoyed the authors note at the end. Overall, a beautiful story.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unspecified setting. 32 pp. Adorable story about a young boy looking for S items to bring to the Nowruz celebration.

Found online: https://youtu.be/8lOLWvltshE

Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story by Adib Khorram

[Kate Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another story that could introduce a possibly new culture to students. This story is about Persian New year called Nowruz. Through the story we are introduced a tradition of the haft seen which you gather seven things all starting with the letter s. There is a little mishap that happens within the book, but Kian the Amin character is able to recognize the importance of this tradition in his culture and he fixes what was broken.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked out several library books with Persian/Iranian themes for my friend’s baby shower. I do not speak Farsi, but this book had strong reviews for using vocabulary appropriately and including correct translations.

Overall I loved the book and the way it explores the traditions of Persian New Year!

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great one which my 4.5 year old really enjoyed! I haven’t come across many other stories about Nowruz or with Persian protagonists so this was a welcome introduction for my kid to this celebration in a fun, funny and relatable way. Loved how amenable the family was to the new haft-seen and how it captured the fun and chaotic energy of a celebration like Nowruz!

[Srujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

📌 Children's Picture Book 71 of 2026
🌟 4.5 stars rounded to 4 ayats

Just the book to peek into the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Learnt about the tradition of Haft Sin and the 7 special somethings that start from the letter S. A Fantastic book to add to the list of books about new years celebration and celebration of festivals around the world in general.

[Abby Johnson]

This brilliant picture book manages to be both an introduction to the Persian holiday of Nowruz and also a fun story for those already familiar with the holiday. I learned, I laughed, I went home happy.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful. Enchanting. From someone who is not a part of this culture, I cannot speak to appropriate or correct representation. All I can say is that I loved it! I hope it brings a smile to those who read it.

[Meghan Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun, educational, and beautifully done. I enjoyed learning about another culture. I love the idea of finding items that are special that start with the letter S. It is a very charming story. I think kids from all backgrounds would enjoy this book.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kian and his family are preparing to celebrate Nowruz. Something happens and Kian has to recreate the seven "S" things on the family's haft-seen. Brightly colored illustrations support the text as readers see how this family celebrates and learn more about Nowruz too.