Picture Books Are for Grown-Ups Too!
Picture books aren’t just for children. Picture books are for grown-ups too! Listen in as we speak with picture book authors, illustrators, and enthusiasts about how these stories contribute to human thriving. Discover how picture books can affirm our experiences, introduce us to new perspectives, serve as conversation starters, foster meaningful reflection, and give us words to make sense of the world! Ultimately, you’re never too old for a great picture book AND these tiny tales can lead to big connection! Join us for the journey, and discover something that might contribute to YOUR thriving.
Picture Books Are for Grown-Ups Too!
S2E9 | Azadeh Westergaard and 'The One & Only Googoosh'
“The sense of loss of home, displacement, musical memories, losing family; I think all of those are things we can all relate to in different ways.” –Azadeh Westergaard
Today we’re talking about community stories of loss, how music can connect us, immigration experiences, and understanding stories from the past.
Today’s Picture Book: The One & Only Googoosh written and illustrated by Azadeh Westergaard
Azadeh Westergaard is a NYC based Iranian-American picture book collector and book maker. She is the author and illustrator of The One & Only Googoosh: Iran’s Beloved Superstar and the author of A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla (illustrated by Júlia Sardà). Book honors include the 2025 Flora Stieglitz Straus Award by Bank Street College of Education, winner of the 2025 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration and finalist for the Golden Kite Awards for Picture Book Text, and an ALSC 2025 Notable Children’s Book citation.
Book Description: A celebration of one of Iran’s most iconic musical artists. The legendary Iranian singer and actress Googoosh (born Faegheh Atashin) made her stage debut at age two while performing alongside her acrobat father. By the time she reached adulthood, she was widely considered to be Iran's first superstar. Googoosh was in the prime of her career and on the brink of international stardom, but after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, she was silenced and disappeared from public life for over twenty years. However, her fans did not forget her. And as they sought refuge around the globe, they found ways to keep her music alive.
Azadeh Westergaard has crafted an unforgettable love letter to the home she once knew in Iran and to the woman who was and still is a cultural icon—a dazzling performer known as the one and only Googoosh.
Please consider supporting your local independent booksellers by purchasing The One & Only Googoosh. Find a store here: https://www.indiebound.org/
Other mentions in this episode:
Googoosh singing a duet with artist Martik
Googoosh, Iran's Daughter (Documentary)
What It Is by Lynda Berry
Questions/Activities for further engagement based on the discussion:
1. Think of a song from your childhood that is really your family’s soundtrack. Play the song, set a timer, and either make art or write with the Lynda Berry questions in mind: Where are you? What are you wearing? What’s on the wall? Etc.
2. Have a Musical Cookie Exchange! Friends from different cultures bring your favorite song and favorite cookie to represent your culture and share in that way.
Find Azadeh:
Website: www.ahwestergaard.com
Social Media: @ahwestergaard
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Ripening Time, Patrice's 2nd picture book, releases April 22, 2025. Order your copy from your local bookstore or one of Patrice's local bookstores!
Also, please visit the podcast’s bookshop.org page for a complete list of books discussed!
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