A Morning of Stories, Songs & Signed Books in Berkeley

Today the Tiny Time Traveler series got to leave the page. At Stories, Songs & Imagination in Berkeley, a room full of children and families spent the morning with the stories — read aloud, set to music, and finally signed, one book at a time.

Stories and Songs

Teacher and musician Sanaz Boroujerdian read from the series and brought the adventures to life through music and performance. For an hour, the Zagros hills, the ancient flute of Tepe Sang-e Chakhmagh, and the mighty Simurgh filled the room at Impossible Stage.

The event was hosted by Diaspora Arts Connection, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and sharing diaspora arts and culture. We're grateful to them for making a morning like this possible — free for families, with the room full of kids ages 3 to 11.

Signed, With Love

After the reading came one of our favorite parts: Dr. Bahram Ghadiri signing books for young readers. Families went home with signed copies — including The Journey to the Ancient City of Shahdad, the newest adventure in the series, which takes Aryan and Ariana to a Bronze Age city of master metalworkers deep in the Lut Desert.

There is something special about watching a child hold a book that was just signed for them. These stories were written to spark curiosity about history, archaeology, and where we all come from — and days like this are where that spark visibly catches.

Thank You

To every family who came, to Sanaz Boroujerdian for giving the stories a voice and a melody, and to Diaspora Arts Connection for hosting: thank you. Events like this are why these books exist.

If you couldn't make it, the adventure is always waiting on the page. Start with The First Animation of the Ancient World, Book 1 of the Tiny Time Traveler series, or browse the full collection.

We hope to see you at the next one — and if you're near San Ramon, the books will be at the Roya Foundation Youth Center grand opening this Tuesday, August 18.