From olden times until today, legends and parables have formed a significant part of the essence of Iranian litera-ture. From the poems of classical poets and the prose that has remained from centuries ago to rewriting or creating works of fiction in contemporary times, legends and myths have always proven to be a source of information and inspiration for authors. While some writers prefer to rewrite old myths, others choose to base their characters on mythical ones. There are also creative writers who strive to create a different fantastical or even comical at-mosphere in their stories; drawing on ancient characters. The Midget King and 40 Big Troubles has been penned the same way. On one hand, Mirkiaei has embedded the king and his attendants as classic characters at the heart of his story, on the other hand giving them a whole new side in favor of storytelling elements and his young audi-ences by the way their stories are narrated, adding a touch of humor. In another thought-provoking metaphor, he depicts all people born in the land of the king exactly like him; the kingdom they live in is one which under strict orders of the king, controls babies from the very moment they are born. People and maternities are under orders to dress the newborn in the official army black attires of the king, shave their head, hold their hand up as a sign of recognition and eventually draw a picture of them as a show of respect to the king. The style that has been used to narrate this weird situation is a testament to Mirkaei’s knowledge of society and creation of metaphors for children and young adults. It can be stated that not only is this book not exclusive to certain people, it is actually a work that can prove interesting for all age groups in all cultures and cause them to think more on the social-political structures of their country.

Mehdi Mirkiaei (1973-Tehran) is a contemporary writer and scholar who is also an academic of Allameh Tabataba’i University. He began his literary career by penning stories for children, but later expanded his activities by attaining an academic certificate in history. In the years after the Islamic Revolution, Mirkiaei’s works gained the attention of many literary critics and award juries and beside the book of the year award, he managed to nab a variety of literary awards including the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults’ book of the year award and the Council for Children’s Books’ book of the year award. Furthermore, two transla-tions of his works have been published in Bosnia and Herzegovina.