Celebrated Tehran-born, Israeli-raised Singer, Rita Jahanforuz,
Releases First Children’s Bookin English
The Girl With A Brave Heart: A Tale from Tehran, Available March 2013
This March, renowned Israeli singer Rita Jahanforuz, known to the world simply as Rita, will release the English version of her acclaimed children’s book The Girl With A Brave Heart. The story, published by Barefoot Books, is beautifully illustrated by Vali Mintzi, and follows the adventures of Shiraz, a girl living in Tehran with a cruel stepmother and stepsister. While knitting a sweater, Shiraz‘s ball of wool rolls into the garden next door. Although Shiraz does not consider herself a brave person, she knows she will need all of her courage to retrieve the yarn, for the ball has landed in the garden of a neighbor who is very peculiar indeed.
Rita will make history at the United Nations on March 5th with a concert singing in both Hebrew and Persian, for the first time ever in the U.N. General Assembly Hall. Celebrated as “Israel’s Madonna,” Rita emigrated from Iran to Israel at the age of eight and has since become the country’s most successful singer. Throughout her career she has placed a strong emphasis on breaking down the cultural, social, and political barriers between people, regardless of their race, religion or nationality, and uniting all countries in peace. The Girl With A Brave Heart features vibrant illustrations and approachable prose to help children understand contemporary global themes of how courage and kindness triumph over meanness.
When Rita was a young girl, her mother often told her the story of a brave girl who found her inner courage by embracing her biggest fears. When Rita became a mother she passed the story onto her own daughters, molding the story to “identify the absolute truth that lies underneath words: that everyone needs the gestures of our love and affection.” Eventually the oral story evolved into The Girl With A Brave Heart, a story which Rita believes reflects the ability of one person to touch someone else with love and kindness.
“The core of this story was told to me by my mother when I was a child growing up in Tehran,” explains Rita. “One of the many gifts my mother gave me was how to express kindness and warmth towards people — regardless of how they might express themselves to the world. This story is a tribute to my childhood in Iran but most of all, it is a tribute to my mother.”
The Girl With A Brave Heart, released in Hebrew in 2010, has seen great success in Israel. Barefoot Books, known for its commitment to multicultural publishing, will release the English version of the story as a 40-page picture book in March 2013. The Girl With A Brave Heart is for children ages 4–10, and will be available in hardcover for $16.99, and paperback for $7.99.
Rita was named the top female singer in Israel, in 2008. She packs venues and stadiums to capacity and her multi-platinum albums reinforce her position as Israel’s biggest singing sensation. More information is at
About Barefoot Books
Barefoot Books is an independent publisher with offices in Cambridge, MA, USA and Oxford, England, that specializes in carefully crafted books, gifts and digital content that help children on their journey to becoming happy, engaged members of the global community. Since 1992, Barefoot Books has published more than 500 titles that use timeless stories and captivating illustrations to tap into the wisdom of many cultures, while never forgetting that childhood is a time for fun. Barefoot Books are available online, through booksellers, its retail stores in Concord, Massachusetts, Oxford, England and FAO Schwarz in New York City, and Barefoot Books Ambassadors, its community of home sellers. For more information, visit
For Release: Cambridge, MA
February 2013
Contact: Leah Lesser, 617.995.4630,