At the age of 16, Daniel Yousefl identified a gap. Growing up in California in a Persian family, Daniel was raised bilingual. As the oldest of three children, Daniel wanted to ensure that he and his younger siblings could maintain their connection to Persian culture. He sought out books in Farsi, but everything he could find seemed to be written by or for adults in Iran: They were either too advanced for kids to comprehend or too rudimentary for kids to enjoy reading.

As part of a school project, Daniel began to research important cultural icons in Persian history-the more exploration he did, the more interested he became in these characters. He wanted to share his interest with other young readers by writing a book at a level that native English speakers with limited knowledge of Farsi would enjoy reading. What he created became a children’s book series about influential Persians whose legacies have also impacted the world. By writing in Farsi with occasional English translations of higher-level words, Daniel crafted a story that is both accessible and engaging to young readers.

All profits from this book help to finance Education Ends Hunger, an active nonprofit in California that Daniel founded in 2022 to support education In Iran, Afghanistan, and other countries throughout the world. The mission of Education Ends Hunger is to provide students with the basic tools they need to be successful such as clothing and school supplies and to ensure that school facilities have the amenities they need to offer safe learning environments -like safe drinking water and water coolers. The ultimate goal is a strong education for all students around the world, to give them the best chance to accomplish great things.