Poppy The Pea

Farzad Sharifi-Yazdi, also known as Dr. Fuzz, grew up in Berkhamsted, England, where he first picked up his enduring nickname “Fuzz”. At fourteen, his national prize-winning poem Brian’s Head was published in the UK’s prestigious The Times newspaper-marking the start of his lifelong love of poetry and storytelling.Curiosity about a war that displaced him from his birthplace at the age of five later inspired Farzad to obtain a doctorate in Geopolitics at King’s College London. His first book, on international rivalries and territorial disputes in the Middle East, was published by Bloomsbury in 2015.Writing for children has always been Farzad’s long-held dream - what better way to promote mental wellbeing and international peace, subjects especially close to his heart.He is currently working on the second instalment of the Poppy the Pea series and other new children’s titles, while taking Poppy’s first adventure into schools across the UK and abroad through widely praised assemblies and workshops.

“...utterly charming book that captured my heart the moment I started reading. There is a beautifully balanced and clever rhyme running through this text making it wonderful for reading aloud. Poppy the Pea is a wonderful character; her story is a lot of fun to read and comes in a beautiful gift book that suits children and adult shelves alike.”— Louise Ellis-Barrett, Armadillo Magazine“This beautifully crafted pocketbook explores themes of bravery and hope through charming illustrations and playful rhyming verse. Divided into five short chapters, it’s ideal for emergent readers. Teachers will find it useful to discuss resilience, fears and overcoming obstacles.”— Tom Tolkien, The School Reading List“A beautifully narrated story with wonderful illustrations. Suitable for children to listen to and read themselves. The book and the activities Dr. Fuzz has provided on his website help both parents and teachers engage in discussions about children’s fears and emotions.”— Tracy Goldblatt, Literacy Adviser for Camden Learning“Presented in a cute small hardback format that’s perfect for little hands, it’s an irresistible package of charming illustrations and poetry. The lively rhyming story is a joy to read aloud, and infused with a quirky sense of fun as we meet Poppy. With stylish, characterful illustrations...this is elegantly eccentric and great for prompting discussions around feeling scared, being brave and finding comfort in friends.”— Joanne Owen, Lovereading4kids“Love love Poppy the Pea! What a delightfully delicious picture book. It’s rich and intriguing with intelligent and creative rhyme and so much visually for the reader to engage with. Totally captivating. I particularly love the surprise of numbers, time, music, symbols and graphs. What a delight!”— Sabine Adeyinka, author of Jummy at the River School“Poppy the Pea is brilliant! An engaging, roll-off-the-tongue voice, complemented beautifully by the artwork. There’s a real Seussian feel to this story, in the very best way!”— Rebecca Anastasi, Picture Book Editor at Hachette Children’s Group“This pocket-sized book with a sweet rhyming story is full of positivity. Lovely to share and read aloud with children 5+ or even to gift to adults. The story has some great conversation starters about chasing your dreams and facing your fears. A really accessible way to talk about the power of facing your fears and dealing with some anxieties.”— Tash Hyde, Read For Good“Poppy the Pea is super-sweet inside and out. I fell in love with Poppy straight away. I adore the storyline and the delightful illustrations inspire the imagination. This is a treat for any book lover and a story you will treasure for the rest of your life.”— Clare Baggaley, Art Director, Harry Potter at Bloomsbury“...The story teaches children about the importance of having dreams and facing your fears, otherwise you won’t have a chance to achieve your dreams. I think children from about 3 years to about 6 years of age will enjoy having the story read to them. They will love the rhyming text and will be repeating it themselves. Older children will enjoy reading it for themselves.”— Susan Gibbs, Lovereading4kids“A wonderful and inspiring story... The illustrations are simple but are highly amusing. Even as an adult, I shall read this beautiful story of an adventurous pea who believes she can be different. Children will love this rhyming story which has so many things to talk about.”— Jill Barton, Lovereading4kids“A tiny book with a big message.”— Nicky Hudson, It’s All About Stories“Amusingly illustrated by the author, this is a quirky, pocket-sized book for anyone who might need a gentle nudge to take that vital first step, especially.”— Jill R Bennett, Red Reading Hub“This little book, measuring just 138 x 110 mm...has been lovingly designed and printed to a high standard. With so many good things going for it...the illustrations are subtle and wittily restrained; the device of using brief italic voice-over commentary at the end of each verse is a good one; the aim of helping early readers to face and overcome their fears is a noble one. There should be more small books like this.”— Michael Thorn, Achuka“A sweet and heart-warming little book that packs a punch.”— Stacey Garrity, Whispering Stories“I recommend this unusual little book with charming illustrations which has some big messages about taking risks, facing fear, valuing friendship, developing confidence and making decisions which could inspire some interesting discussion with children. It could also be a gift for adults who are inclined to prevaricate or who lack self-confidence.”— Karen Argent, The Letterpress Project“With charming illustrations and rhymes that make it a pleasure to read, this lovely book playfully tells a powerful story.”— Poppy O’Neill, bestselling author of mental wellbeing resources for children and parents“Poppy the Pea is a charming tale with sweet life lessons threaded throughout. I enjoyed reading it with my youngest child and well worth reading aloud!"— Charlotte Badenoch, Co-Founder of Bright Light Education