One dawn the woods shine in more beautiful colours than ever before. On the edge of a clearing the trees shimmer green and red. And there in the sunlight – there's something black lying on the ground. What on earth could it be?
The raven flies down to it and excitedly exclaims: "This must be a piece of a star. Soon the sky will fall on our heads!" And off it flies to warn the others of the impending danger. The fox, woken by the raven’s noisy chatter, comes by and sees something black lying on the ground. He has heard a lot about the royal palace in the big city and believes that this must be the princess's handkerchief. The wind must have carried it here. The king will soon be sending his troops out in search of it.
Soon there is mayhem in the forest. The leopard, the owl, and the cat – they all report what they have seen and talk about the looming danger. But perhaps the black thing lying on the ground is nothing more than …
With a wink the Iranian illustrator Reza Dalvand tells a small and equally big story about the fear of the unknown, using the entire spectrum of his broad palette of colours.

The author and illustrator

Reza Dalvand (*1989) was born in the Iranian city of Andimeshk. As a child he had but one idea in his head – to draw. After studying graphic design at Isfahan University of Art he completed a master's degree in illustration at the University of Tehran. He has illustrated many books for children in Iran and abroad. His works have been recognised at international exhibitions and competitions. Something Black was originally published by Baboab Books and has since been translated into English, French, Turkish and Korean. Besides his position as Art Director of an Iranian Publishing House Reza works as a freelance illustrator in Tehran.