Do you have a hero? Maybe it’s someone you know who does amazing things, perhaps it’s a person from the past who has achieved a lot, or it could be a superhero from a comic book who has magical powers.

This illustration of a hero called Rustam comes from a Persian manuscript. With the help of Rakhsh, his loyal horse, Rustam defeats an evil fire-breathing dragon! Rustam always wore a lion’s head on his helmet to look extra ferocious – ROOOAAARR!

This colourful picture comes from the Shahnama or Book of Kings, an epic poem written more than 1,000 years ago. It tells the story of the ancient kings of Iran (also called Persia). It has an amazing 50,000 verses and is the longest poem ever written by a single author!

This part of the Shahnama was completed more than 370 years ago, in 1648. The text is surrounded by borders decorated with animals, birds, trees and floral patterns, painted in gold. The book also includes lots of paintings, which tell the story like a modern cartoon strip.

Have a go!

Who is your hero? It does not have to be a fictional character; it can be a real person. It can be someone you know or someone you admire from afar. Using our template to help you, draw a cartoon strip telling the story of your hero. You could even write a short caption below each drawing to explain what is happening in the picture.