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Good Night, Commander
The Commander has lost his mother and one of his legs in the Iran-Iraq war. Now he spends most of his time alone in his room where he recreates the conflict with an imaginary enemy and soldiers, trying to avenge his losses. His father urges him to take off his artificial leg when he is at home, to join his uncles and aunties who have arrived for dinner. But when he does, he finds out that they are all about to go off to meet his "new mother." Back in his room the imaginary war continues, and he confronts an enemy soldier who is also missing a limb. A battle seems inevitable until The Commander offers the enemy his artificial leg.
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
1 person is currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Ahmad Akbarpour
24 books15 followersAhmad Akbarpour is an Iranian novelist and children's book author. He was born in 1970 in Chah Varz, Lamerd, Fars Province.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 3, 2018
Originally published in Iran in 2005, this simple picture-book about a young boy whose mother was killed in the terrible Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), a conflict in which he himself was maimed, and lost a leg, was an IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities selection, and it is not difficult to see why. A moving tale, it follows the journey of the unnamed boy, styled "The Commander" in his imaginary play, who wages a nightly battle against the 'enemy' - all under the watchful gaze of his mother, in her photograph on the wall - until his surprising discovery that the enemy bears a striking resemblance to himself:
"Tell me right now. Right now! Why did you kill my mother?" I yell.
He starts to cry and says, "I didn't kill your mother. I've just joined up."
I start to laugh. He is kind of little, maybe even younger than me. Or maybe he just looks little because he's so afraid.
He has a crutch under one arm.
"Look, I'm here to avenge my mother," I say.
He drops his crutch and grabs his gun. "Me too," he answers back.
The intensity of the boy's rage, of his desire for vengeance, his feelings of grief at the loss of his mother, and his resentment of his father's impending remarriage, are very much evident in the story, making his incipient move toward healing all the more poignant. The illustrations, done in a childlike "pencil drawing" style, are rather flat. But although not really to my taste, aesthetically speaking, they felt authentic, and appropriate to the story, which is also from the child's perspective. All in all, this was an excellent book about a difficult subject (a few difficult subjects, really: war, disability, the death of a parent), and although perhaps not for every child, would be a good selection for young readers who have experienced these things, and need a book which reflects their reality. Good Night, Commander is the first children's book I have read, from Iran, but I certainly hope it won't be my last!
"Tell me right now. Right now! Why did you kill my mother?" I yell.
He starts to cry and says, "I didn't kill your mother. I've just joined up."
I start to laugh. He is kind of little, maybe even younger than me. Or maybe he just looks little because he's so afraid.
He has a crutch under one arm.
"Look, I'm here to avenge my mother," I say.
He drops his crutch and grabs his gun. "Me too," he answers back.
The intensity of the boy's rage, of his desire for vengeance, his feelings of grief at the loss of his mother, and his resentment of his father's impending remarriage, are very much evident in the story, making his incipient move toward healing all the more poignant. The illustrations, done in a childlike "pencil drawing" style, are rather flat. But although not really to my taste, aesthetically speaking, they felt authentic, and appropriate to the story, which is also from the child's perspective. All in all, this was an excellent book about a difficult subject (a few difficult subjects, really: war, disability, the death of a parent), and although perhaps not for every child, would be a good selection for young readers who have experienced these things, and need a book which reflects their reality. Good Night, Commander is the first children's book I have read, from Iran, but I certainly hope it won't be my last!
October 13, 2025
بالاخره آدم بزرگها هم دل دارن :) گاهی دلشون میخواد کتاب آدم کوچیکها رو بخونن.
شببهخیر فرمانده داستان پسر بچهایه که توی جنگ ایران و عراق پاهاش رو، و همینطور مادرش رو از دست داده.
حالا توی عالم بچگی میخواد انتقام مادرش رو دشمن بگیره.
تصویرگریش رو هم دوست داشتم.
البته الان توی چاپهای جدیدش قشنگتر هم شده.
یه نکتهی جالبی که متوجه شدم هم اینه که رویوهای کتابهای احمد اکبرپور تو گودریدز اکثرا توسط افراد غیر ایرانی نوشته شده.
وقتی میبینم نویسندهای نه فقط در ایران، بلکه در کشورهای دیگه هم شهرت داره، جداً خوشحال میشم.
شببهخیر فرمانده داستان پسر بچهایه که توی جنگ ایران و عراق پاهاش رو، و همینطور مادرش رو از دست داده.
حالا توی عالم بچگی میخواد انتقام مادرش رو دشمن بگیره.
تصویرگریش رو هم دوست داشتم.
البته الان توی چاپهای جدیدش قشنگتر هم شده.
یه نکتهی جالبی که متوجه شدم هم اینه که رویوهای کتابهای احمد اکبرپور تو گودریدز اکثرا توسط افراد غیر ایرانی نوشته شده.
وقتی میبینم نویسندهای نه فقط در ایران، بلکه در کشورهای دیگه هم شهرت داره، جداً خوشحال میشم.
March 9, 2011
Good Night, Commander written by Ahmad Akbarpour was illustrated by Marteza Zahedi. The book tells the story of a young child that has lost his leg and mother in the war between Iraq and Iran. When the story opens, the child is using his imagination to join in a war and take his revenge. He is brought back to reality by a few interruptions like his family, but stays steadfast to his mission. One day he comes face to face with the enemy, another child like himself who has lost his leg and mother. At this moment he realizes he has a lot more in common with the enemy than he previously realized and decides not to take his revenge.
I was fascinated by this gripping story which touches on the horrible fact, when adults rage war it is often the children who pay the highest cost. Mr. Akbarpour has decided to touch on a very serious topic in his children’s book, while some parents may not want to expose their children to this reality, it does present a great teachable moment. Our children sit in front of televisions watching Power Rangers explode, Transformers cut in half, and Spongebob flattened by a falling building. After these catastrophic scenes they appear within the next few seconds completely unmarred by the incident. Why are children often unaware of the consequences of their actions? As parents, who wish to protect our children, we consequently prevent realization. In Good Night, Commander, I see an opportunity to break a cycle which our parents began.
Sit down, read the story and have a real conversation with your child about what it means to be handicap. Let your child see the reality of what happens when, adults cannot compromise, will not respect another, and forget the actions we take have consequences.
I was fascinated by this gripping story which touches on the horrible fact, when adults rage war it is often the children who pay the highest cost. Mr. Akbarpour has decided to touch on a very serious topic in his children’s book, while some parents may not want to expose their children to this reality, it does present a great teachable moment. Our children sit in front of televisions watching Power Rangers explode, Transformers cut in half, and Spongebob flattened by a falling building. After these catastrophic scenes they appear within the next few seconds completely unmarred by the incident. Why are children often unaware of the consequences of their actions? As parents, who wish to protect our children, we consequently prevent realization. In Good Night, Commander, I see an opportunity to break a cycle which our parents began.
Sit down, read the story and have a real conversation with your child about what it means to be handicap. Let your child see the reality of what happens when, adults cannot compromise, will not respect another, and forget the actions we take have consequences.
September 11, 2014
I enjoyed this anti-war picture book much. This attitude towards war is important to be intensified in everyone. This shows that in a war there is no enemy; the enemy too is somebody like us, defending his/her country. The nature of war itself is disgusting & loathsome for everybody, either this side , or that side.
I strongly believe that Akbarpour has been successful in conveying his peaceful message to his readers.
I remembered Thomas Hardy's 'The Man I Killed'..
I strongly believe that Akbarpour has been successful in conveying his peaceful message to his readers.
I remembered Thomas Hardy's 'The Man I Killed'..
February 10, 2014
این کتاب شگفت انگیز است ... نگاه انسانی اش، تناسبش با این گروه سنی و ... فقط کمی مطمئن نیستم تصویرسازی هایش متناسب این گروه سنی باشد. در یک نقد خارجی خواندم که از تصویرسازی ها تعریف کرده بود، اما در همین نقدهای گودریدز خواننده ها هم گفته بودند که فکر کرده اند تصویرگری متناسب سن گروه سنی کتاب نیست.
November 18, 2012
Grade/interest level: Upper elementary (4th-5th grade)
Reading level: None available
Genre: Historical Fiction, multicultural,
Main Characters: A boy (the Commander), His mother
Setting: Iran after the Iran-Iraq war
POV: The boy's perspective
This is a story about a boy who's leg is missing due to some tragic event in the Iran-Iraq war. His mother also died and he has vowed to avenge her death. The boy is playing war in his room with a prosthetic leg on and his father comes in and tells him to take it off while in the house because it makes too much noise. The boy does but he doesn't want his men to see because he doesn't want to appear weak. After an appearance at dinner, the boy realizes that tonight is the night that his family is going to go meet his new mother. He decides to go back to his room. There he imagines a boy much like himself and they end up meeting each other in a face off with guns pointed at each other. The boy finds that the other boy also has his leg missing and that his mother is also gone. The other boy notices the boy's fake leg and is intrigued by it. They both put their guns down and finally the boy goes to bed but feels ashamed because he did not avenge his mother's death. The mother in the photo talks to the boy, the Commander, and says that she is proud of him and to not cause trouble for his father. In the end, she tells him Good night commander.
I would use this book in an upper elementary school classroom when discussing the terrible after effects of war and the imact that it had not only on military people and governments but as shown in this book how it could damage a family. This book is based on the Iran-Iraq war but can definitely be used when discussing other wars as well.
Reading level: None available
Genre: Historical Fiction, multicultural,
Main Characters: A boy (the Commander), His mother
Setting: Iran after the Iran-Iraq war
POV: The boy's perspective
This is a story about a boy who's leg is missing due to some tragic event in the Iran-Iraq war. His mother also died and he has vowed to avenge her death. The boy is playing war in his room with a prosthetic leg on and his father comes in and tells him to take it off while in the house because it makes too much noise. The boy does but he doesn't want his men to see because he doesn't want to appear weak. After an appearance at dinner, the boy realizes that tonight is the night that his family is going to go meet his new mother. He decides to go back to his room. There he imagines a boy much like himself and they end up meeting each other in a face off with guns pointed at each other. The boy finds that the other boy also has his leg missing and that his mother is also gone. The other boy notices the boy's fake leg and is intrigued by it. They both put their guns down and finally the boy goes to bed but feels ashamed because he did not avenge his mother's death. The mother in the photo talks to the boy, the Commander, and says that she is proud of him and to not cause trouble for his father. In the end, she tells him Good night commander.
I would use this book in an upper elementary school classroom when discussing the terrible after effects of war and the imact that it had not only on military people and governments but as shown in this book how it could damage a family. This book is based on the Iran-Iraq war but can definitely be used when discussing other wars as well.
May 2, 2012
This picture book from Iran is written in the context of the Iran-Iraq war of 1980 to 1988. We see a young boy with an artificial leg playing "war" and aggressively trying to "kill" the enemy that killed his mother. While his family seems to be providing a nurturing environment, the boy is obviously deeply affected by the war. He thinks of himself as the Commander of an army. In the course of playing, he encounters an enemy boy soldier whom he wants to kill until he realizes that the boy is missing a leg just like him, only this boy doesn't have an artificial leg so that he can walk without crutches. It's unclear from the text and pictures whether the boy is imagining this or whether a real boy is there playing with him. The encounter, however, changes "the Commander" and takes the fight out of him. He ends up sharing his leg with "the enemy" and winning the approval of his mother, who talks to him from her picture on the wall. A very odd book, but certainly one with a valid message. I'd have given it 4 stars except I really didn't care for the illustrations. Worth taking a look at.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2017
The Commander, in this story, is a little boy who has lost his leg and his mother as a result of the war between Iran and Iraq. As he wages his own war to avenge his mother's death he comes face to face with his enemy: himself.
I picked this book up to use with a class as a base for discussion of theme.
I was surprised how difficult it was for the students to try and draw a theme from this book. I wondered if it was the art work that made it difficult, or if the concepts were not clear enough for them? In the end, with some prompting, they were able to discover some possible themes.
I picked this book up to use with a class as a base for discussion of theme.
I was surprised how difficult it was for the students to try and draw a theme from this book. I wondered if it was the art work that made it difficult, or if the concepts were not clear enough for them? In the end, with some prompting, they were able to discover some possible themes.
June 7, 2011
This picture book, for 2nd to 5th grade, doesn't sugarcoat war. The child, who has lost a leg in the Iran/Iraq War, is playing soldier with his toy gun. I liked the writing-- all male bravado-- that tells the story between the lines. But the illustrations-- kind of abstract and sketchy-- will be hard for this age group to decipher. This book is best used with children older than the picture book age group.
July 11, 2010
A young Iranian boy lost his mother and his leg in the Iran-Iraq War. He spends hours alone in his room recreating his terrible experiences with an imaginary enemy and soldiers. An outstanding, insightful story about the horror of war from a young child's perspective.
August 10, 2010
I thought this book was very moving. Although it is a picture book, I suggest that this might be shelved in non-fiction instead of Easy Fiction as a great title to help parents/teachers to explain conflict and the results of war on innocent children.
September 26, 2011
Nothing simple about this book; some very heavy stuff. Not a book for every child, but would recommend for every parent.
June 13, 2017
This book is unique from the other books I have included in this selection, however, it goes with the overarching theme of living with a disability. The Commander lost his mother and his leg in the Iran-Iraq war where he spends many of his alone time trying to get imaginary revenge for his tragedies.
When looking at the cover of the book, one can notice the illustrations are different from many normal picture books. Further, the illustrations look like they were drawn in pencil and colored pencil creating a child-like drawing look. Moreover, it allows for readers to see that the text and illustrations allows the readers to view the story from the child’s perspective. When examining the text, one can see that this is from a child’s perspective, however, one can conclude that it is from a child that is between the age 7 and 10 because of the long wording on each page. This differs from many picture books because of the fact that many of them have short wording and use rhymes in order to keep a younger audience entertained. The setting and plot in this picture book is unique from its counterparts because of the fact that it is more complex. Meaning, the author gives readers insight into how the character lost his mother and leg and why this is motivating him. Further, in this book we see a more well developed plot rather than the simple picture books. For example, it describes his losses, how he dealt with them, then goes into what he’s going to do about it. I would not recommend this book to teach kids about disabilities, however, it would be good to use as supplementary material to show children that there are kids around the world with disabilities. Further, it gives children a unique read with a part of history while simultaneously introducing children with disabilities.
When looking at the cover of the book, one can notice the illustrations are different from many normal picture books. Further, the illustrations look like they were drawn in pencil and colored pencil creating a child-like drawing look. Moreover, it allows for readers to see that the text and illustrations allows the readers to view the story from the child’s perspective. When examining the text, one can see that this is from a child’s perspective, however, one can conclude that it is from a child that is between the age 7 and 10 because of the long wording on each page. This differs from many picture books because of the fact that many of them have short wording and use rhymes in order to keep a younger audience entertained. The setting and plot in this picture book is unique from its counterparts because of the fact that it is more complex. Meaning, the author gives readers insight into how the character lost his mother and leg and why this is motivating him. Further, in this book we see a more well developed plot rather than the simple picture books. For example, it describes his losses, how he dealt with them, then goes into what he’s going to do about it. I would not recommend this book to teach kids about disabilities, however, it would be good to use as supplementary material to show children that there are kids around the world with disabilities. Further, it gives children a unique read with a part of history while simultaneously introducing children with disabilities.
July 28, 2019
Having lost his leg and his mother, a young Iraq boy is consumed with revenge. He spends his time alone in his room plotting what he will do to his enemy. But when he discovers that the enemy is also missing a leg, he realizes that war and revenge are not going to solve their problems, only empathy will.
Recommended for Upper Elementary and Middle School
May 24, 2017
بسیار عالی. داستان پسر بچه ای که هم پاش و هم مامانش رو توی جنگ هشت ساله ی ایران و عراق از دست داده. این کتاب توی چند دقیقه هم شما رو به گریه میندازه، و هم میخندونه.
February 7, 2018
Wow. This was unique, powerful, moving, and gritty. A very interesting story on the effects of war on one little boy.
May 6, 2025
پنج دادم به خاطر خلاقیت فوقالعاده نویسنده در بیان زشتی جنگ. اما درباره محتوا هنوز مطمئن نیستم. آیا جنگ همیشه همیشه بد است؟ معلوم است که نه
April 25, 2017
A commander has lost his leg at war and is struggling with figuring out how to do life. Throughout the book he gets his hope back and attempts so learn how to go things in his own way. Although this is difficult, author Ahmad Akbarpour brings together a story that is encouraging to others.
May 2, 2019
A commander has lost his leg at war and is struggling with figuring out how to get by life. Throughout the book he gets his hope back and make things go his way for once. A good story with a great ending.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews