خالی

by اعظم مهدوی, مریم طهماسبی (Illustrator)

این آخرین عکس من و مامان است و آخرین گلی که با هم کاشتیم...

بعدش خالی جای مامان را گرفت.

Genres: Picture Books, Grief, Death, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Emotion

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Shaghayegh · Rating 5 out of 5]

یادم هست که منصور ضابطیان یه جا که یادم نمیاد دقیقا کجا بود، اشاره کرده بود که یکی از سرگرمی‌هاش تو سفر این هست که ساعت‌ها تو کتابفروشی بشینه و کتاب‌های مصور رو ورق بزنه.
من هم تو بخش کودک-نوجوان، وقتی چشمم به این کتاب خورد گفتم تو هم امتحانش کن و این شد که سوگواری رو به زبون ساده و بی‌آلایش در تصویرسازی‌های قشنگ دیدم.
این مفهوم برای بچه، تلخ و تاریک نیست. هر آدمی تو هر سنی باید یک سری مفاهیم رو حتی شده خلاصه و سربسته درک کنه. از دست دادن، سوگواری و کنار اومدن با کسی که زمانی بود و حالا نیست اما جای خالیش حس میشه.
برای من فقط راجع به بچه‌ای نبود که مادرش رو از دست داده؛ چون این مقوله برای من فقط به مرگ ختم‌ نمیشه. تو می‌تونی خودت رو از دست بدی. می‌تونی آدمی رو با وجود اینکه حضور هم داره، مرده فرض کنی.
خلاصه اگر دوست دارین بچه‌ای رو با واقعیت مواجه کنین و فقط ذهنش رو با مضامین گل و بلبل پر نکنین، این کتاب رو پیشنهاد میدم. اگرچه به درد هر سن و سالی می‌خوره.

[Mohadese · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆ پنج‌ستاره‌ی طلایی ☆

خالی داستان دختریه که مادرش رو از دست می‌ده و جای خالی‌ش رو با خالی پر می‌کنه!
یکی از قشنگ‌ترین و پرمفهوم‌ترین کتاب‌هایی بود که در باب مرگ خوندم.
تصویر سازی‌های کتاب هم بسی زیبا بود. >>>>

این کتاب رو بارها تو کتابفروشیم معرفی کردم، هم برای کودک مناسبه و هم برای نوجوان. شاید حتی برای بزرگترها اگر دل‌شون یه داستان کم‌حجم اما پرعمق بخواد.
متاسفانه من پدر و مادری رو ندیدم که در مورد "مرگ" و "افسردگی" با بچه‌هاشون صحبت کنن، البته تا حدی هم قابل درکه اما وقتی اون بچه بدون هیچ پیش‌زمینه‌ای با چنین فقدانی روبه‌رو می‌شه باید چه واکنشی نشون بده؟
حقیقتا حتی من با ۲۴ سال سن هنوز دقیق این رو نمی‌دونم و معتقدم نیاز به آموزش داریم تا بتونیم به درستی باهاشون روبه‌رو بشیم و ازشون گذر کنیم :)
خالی می‌تونه یه شروع باشه یا همون آموزش کوچکی که لازمه!

[Zeinab ☀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

تصویر هاش انقدر زیبا بودن که میتونم سال ها بهشون نگاه کنم
غمی که توی کتاب هس رو نمیتونم توصیف کنم
ارزش اینهمه مسخره شدن توسط دیگران بخاطر خریدن کتاب مثلا بچه گانه رو داشت

[Sahel.hn · Rating 5 out of 5]

فقدان، سوگ. از دست دادن کسی یا چیزی بسیار عزیز و ارزشمند به هر شکلی؛ که هیچوقت رهات نمیکنه. و صرفا یاد میگیری چطور با وجود این حس به زندگی ادامه بدی.

[Laela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I typically refrain from reviewing picture books as the sheer volume often results in a blending of impressions. However, this particular work demands a departure from my usual stance.

The profound depth of this beautifully illustrated narrative resonates with me on a personal level. The familiarity with death as an enduring companion strikes a chord, portraying a poignant tale of a mother's demise and the subsequent companionship between a little girl and her newfound friend, Empty. Empty becomes a constant presence, hand in hand with the girl, accompanying her through every facet of life. Despite the girl's attempts to find solace in various things, Empty persists, a poignant reminder of grief's enduring nature. Even in moments of positive change, Empty remains an unwavering companion.

This portrayal encapsulates the essence of grief with a stark and authentic realism. The narrative captures the universal truth of loss, offering a tangible representation of the void left behind. I am compelled to share this book with others, to place it in their hands and articulate, "Here is a visual articulation of the profound loss I have experienced." The emotional resonance is undeniable

[Yasna · Rating 5 out of 5]

چقد دردناک بود.

[Elizabeth M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to start off with this impactful quote from the book: “Then, Mom died, and Empty took her place.” My first question as I began reading this book, and read the book’s title was, “Who is Empty?” As you read through the book, you begin to learn who Empty is and why it appeared in the girl's life.

Empty and Me: A Tale of Friendship and Loss was written by Azam Mahdavi, who is from Iran. Azam has won awards for several of her books. She has written many books for younger readers and adults.

The book begins off with very muted grey tones in the illustrations, making the mood darker and more intimate, charging us into the characters' thoughts and feelings. Later on, when the girl sees the light at the end of the tunnel, the illustrations begin to have color. As a reader, one can sympathize with this book due to its message; a sense of grief and belonging.

This book follows a young girl's journey to happiness and opening up to her family after losing her mother. She is able to cope with her loneliness with the apparition of a new companion named “Empty.” Empty actually represents one’s emotions, hence the name. But is this companion invisible and only she can see it because it’s her own journey to grief? Empty is a metaphor to the first stage of grief: sadness. The book does not go into detail about what exactly happened to the mother, which is appreciated because then it may lose the actual message, tone, and would become too personal with the specific details. Rather the book goes into more detail about how it feels within ourselves to lose a loved one close to you, especially losing a mother. You wonder, does everyone feel this internal pain when losing someone? The young girl is reminded of her mother, and therefore is able to open up and have a better relationship with her father. I think this is a good book to begin a soft conversation with a child dealing with death.

[Kirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful, quiet moving book conveys emotions with the very simple text and phenomenal illustrations. The concept, the tone, the colors, all wonderfully come together to show grief from a gentle reflective perspective. I do not speak Farsi and cannot comment on the original text, I requested the book to see if there was any Islamic representation or strong cultural inclusion and there really isn't , it is a universal story and even those that do not know grief and loss will understand empathy and healing after spending time with this young girl, her imaginary friend Empty, a lonely cat, a flowering plant, and a loving father.

[Mim_farahani · Rating 4 out of 5]

"خالی" داستانی درباره فقدان است اما این تمامِ "خالی" نیست. ظاهر کتاب، برای مخاطب کودک است اما من کتاب "خالی" را به گروه سنی نوجوان به بالا توصیه می‌کنم. حجم غم و انتزاعی بودن مفهوم داستان، مواجهه کودک با اثر را دشوار می‌کند. تصویرگری‌ کتاب بسیار چشم نواز است. اگر "خالی" را جایی دیدید، دقایقی از وقتتان را برایش خالی کنید تا گوشه‌ای از قلبتان پر شود.

[Rana Heshmati · Rating 4 out of 5]

تو نمایشگاه کتاب به پیشننهاد کتابفروش نشر هوپا برش داشتم و خوندمش. یادمه که زیبا بود. ولی خیلی بنظرم دارکه برا بچه ها 🥲

[Y_falahati · Rating 5 out of 5]

زندگی دخترکی که با جای "خالی" مادرش داره مانوس میشه، کم کم با اتفاقات شیرینی گره می‌خوره که همه چیز رو قابل تحمل می‌کنه... "خالی" تا آخرین روز پیش دخترک می‌مونه... قرار نیست بره... فقط دخترک می‌فهمه چطور باهاش زندگی کنه...

[Abdollah zarei · Rating 4 out of 5]

شاید فقط در صورتی که عزیزی رو از دست داده باشید خالی رو درک کنید

[Kowsar Bagheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

بابا قلبم پاره‌پاره شد. 💘

[Izabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

En fantastiskt fin bilderbok om tomheten som kommer efter att ha förlorat en närstående. Barnet i boken har en mamma som dött. Efter att mamma dog kom Tomheten och tog hennes plats. Tomheten är en stor gullig blobb som följer med barnet i livet tills en dag då Tomheten inte finns längre.

Bra att läsa tillsammans med barn som underlag för att diskutera sorg, förlust och läkningsprocessen.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so rare to get translated books from Iran; much less a book for children! This was a touching account of a little girl who had lost her mother and is followed around by 'empty' (a hard boiled egg shaped 'ghost') who is her constant companion. She has to find new things to fill 'empty' with - because she has to go on with life. Creative and touching - highest recommendation.

[The Zahra. · Rating 4 out of 5]

چه‌قدر خوب کنار اومدن با از دست دادن رو نشون داده بود. چه‌قدر خوب به تصویر درآورد. چه‌قدر خوب مفهوم سوگواری رو توضیح داد. چه‌قدر خوب. چه‌قدر خوب. چه‌قدر دلنشین. من اگه مردم، اگه هنوز این کتاب رو برای دخترم نخونده بودم، شما بهش بدید این رو بخونه.

[Taha M. Esmaili · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Negar rahimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

تو میتوانی برایم خالی باشی!! همینقدر پر اهمیت ، دوست داشتنی ولی خالی💫

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empty and Me was chosen as a Junior Library Guild Selection winner in 2023. I chose to read this book because I have struggled with the loss of my father over the past year, and was curious how a children's book might discuss loss. In the story, you follow a young girl who has lost her mother, and "Empty," the adorable and squishy-looking character, following her around. Empty is a metaphor for the young girl's grief. You see him everywhere she goes. In the illustrations, you can see how Empty is a barrier to others, even her father. There are moments when the father is pushed against Empty to get closer to his daughter. Towards the end of the story, the young girl finds things to help "fill" empty: A flower from the last plant her and her mother planted, and a lost kitten. At the end, the illustrator shows that the girl has a handle on her grief by showing the little girl sitting atop Empty's shoulders, rather than being pulled around by him.

This book would be an appropriate choice for younger readers. The writing is simple and easy to follow. This book could be used for young children who have experienced loss. The illustrations also help tell so much of the story, it would be a good book for discussing how illustrations can tell us things that the text does not.

[Biblioteken i Örnsköldsvik · Rating 5 out of 5]

En fantastiskt fin bilderbok om tomheten som kommer efter att ha förlorat en närstående. Barnet i boken har en mamma som dött. Efter att mamma dog kom Tomheten och tog hennes plats. Tomheten är en stor gullig blobb som följer med barnet i livet tills en dag då Tomheten inte finns längre.

Bra att läsa tillsammans med barn som underlag för att diskutera sorg, förlust och läkningsprocessen.

[بهار · Rating 5 out of 5]

روایتی بی‌نظیر از سوگ، و باز هم تصویرگری‌های دلنشین مریم‌ طهماسب. خیلی جالب است که کارکتر خالی و سبک و سیاق تصویرسازی‌اش واقعا خالی‌ست. تمامش آن حس خلا و فقدان و خالی را می‌دهد. نمی‌دانم می‌دانید چه می‌گویم یا نه:)

[Zahra tavakoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستان دخترکی که مادرش را از دست داده و جای خالی مادرش را مثل یک شخصیت می‌بیند و سعی می‌کند با فقدان مادر کنار بیاید.
تصویرگری جلوتر از متن و فوق‌العاده البته توقع داشتم با توجه به تغییر روحیه دخترک، رنگ تصاویر شادتر شود و این تغییر روحیه دیده شود.
کتابی درباره‌ٔ فقدان و مناسب بالای ۱۰ سال.

[Nazanin · Rating 5 out of 5]

بهترین تصویرسازی ممکن.

[virly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️
i think empty is my friend too

[Neda Vahedian · Rating 4 out of 5]

آخ قلبم … 💔

[شیما · Rating 5 out of 5]

فوق‌العاده بود.

[Zarinaz Vahid]

خیلی زیبا و غصه‌دار و غمگین و ناز بود و کاش هیچکس لازم نباشه بخوندش و همه تفریحی بخوننش:(

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grief and loss are experienced in very different ways by each individual, and the coping strategies used to deal with losses vary from individual to individual. This bilingual picture book, originally published in Iran and with text in Persian and English, [3.5 for me] follows the path of healing experienced by one young girl. The opening double-page spread shows her sitting alone on a balcony while other youngsters are playing. There are potted plants on the balcony, and readers will understand why when they turn the page as she's remembering the last plant that she and her mother had cultivated. After her mother died, the girl describes how Empty came to stay. Empty is shown lying in her bed, sitting at the breakfast table, accompanying her everywhere she goes. Empty is depicted as a grayish blob, not particularly threatening but almost comforting. Still, it's clear that the family is grieving as there is distance between the father and daughter and few smiles to be found. The early scenes are filled with stark images, dark colors with only glimmers of light shining through. After one of the flowers that the girl and her mother planted blooms, she gives one to Empty, who is shown in subsequent scenes as becoming brighter and with more blossoms. The two of them befriend and adopt a stray kitten, and she and her father start growing closer again, enjoying some outings and sharing a meal. They even manage to feel some joy again and grow another plant. Empty has been the girl's friend all along and has somehow eased the pain of her loss and helped her look forward to new experiences. The text are digital illustrations are lovely, full of significance and exquisite meaning as that blank place where the narrator's mother once lived has been filled temporarily by this friend. This one grows more impressive with repeated readings, and it offers a place to discuss losses of all sorts.

[Thompson McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in Iran, Empty and Me is the story of a little girl dealing with her mother's death. When her mother dies, the girl turns to Empty, her constant companion and only friend. Empty goes everywhere with the little girl: to school, to the playground, and at home. Empty is shown as a huge

The girl remembers her mother when she sees a photo of them together, potting a plant. Later, the plant blooms and the girl begins to see things a little brighter. She finds a small kitten and she and Empty take it home. Now the kitten and Empty and the girl are together. Soon, she plays with another child at school.

Illustrations match the girl's journey throughout her grief: in the beginning, gray is the main color. After the plant blooms, the girl gives Empty a yellow flower. In the pages that follow, Empty is seen with more and more yellow flowers. In the final layout, a picture of the girl, her father, the kitten and Empty are bathed in yellow sunlight coming in from a window.

The text is in Persian with the English translation below it on each page. Young readers may have never experienced a bilingual book before, especially one in Persian and English. The Persian text offers a novel nuance of the print American readers may have not encountered and it adds to the beauty of the pages.

Empty and Me is that rare book that deals with a painful subject in a graceful, poignant manner. Empty is the silent, sweet companion the little girl needs throughout her grief and hopeful healing.

This book is must have read which is the perfect opening for young children to ask questions about death, dying and loss. While the subject matter is dark, Empty and Me is a testament to bright.

Ages 2 and up. Especially helpful for anyone who has lost a close relative or parent.

[Sym K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a confession I should make. My heart has been feeling heavy for some time now. Grief has been all around and inside me. Every now and then, after another photo or video of death emerges, I ask myself is this a nightmare we're living in?

Reading and reviewing children's books is one escapism that doesn't make me feel guilty.

And then, this book comes along.

خالی
Empty and Me
A Tale of Friendship and Loss

When my Nanna, maternal grandmother, passed away earlier this year, her loss made me realize something - the more we love someone, the bigger the crater left in our heart when they leave. The depth of our love for them is the depth of that empty hole left behind. And we walk around with that emptiness, we eat with it, sleep with it, it's always there with us. We learn to live with it, smile and laugh with it.

No one ever left empty-handed after visiting my Nanna, so even in her passing, she left me with a gift - how to cope with the loss of someone you've loved, how to live with grief.

When a little girl in Empty and Me loses her Mom, Empty takes her place. Empty was always with her. Empty stayed so close that there was no space for anyone else. With time though, there grew space for bedtime stories, more friends and new beginnings.

Writing about loss and grief is difficult, writing about loss and grief for children, even more so. Azam Mahdavi has created a masterpiece, a work of art along with Maryam Tahmasebi. And I can not forget to pay gratitude to Parisa Saranj for keeping the essence of the poetic story intact in her translation from Persian to English.

I love that the Persian text is also part of the book. And if you know how to read this language, you know how lyrically beautiful it is. Growing up, the national anthem I sang every morning for the country I'm from, was in Persian. This language holds a special place in my heart.

And now this book does too.