Welcome, Uncle Nowruz!

By: Rashin Kheiriyeh

Published by Simon and Schuster, 2026-02-24

Brilliant Iranian-American creator Rashin offers her fun and fresh spin on a classic Nowruz folktale. Nane Sarma is winter herself, and every year she waits eagerly for her old friend, Uncle Nowruz. His job is to travel the land announcing the beginning of spring. But somehow, she always falls asleep before he arrives! This year, her three grandchildren will celebrate with her, so surely she will stay awake. But after the family shops for all seven items for the Haft-Seen table, finds beautiful new clothes, eats saffron ice cream and makes the traditional meal of fish and rice, Nane is knackered. Uh-oh . . . A fun-filled romp through a favorite Persian holiday, sure to charm readers familiar with the Nowruz festival and inspire those for whom it is new. "Nowruz, to me, is a bridge between past and present, between cultures and hearts—and, always, a new beginning." –Rashin