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The 9th exhibition of the Association of Illustrators of Children's Books is held for commemoration of Nouredin Zarrin Kelk. The exhibition is organized to appreciate the activities of the father of Iran's animation, in Momayez Gallery of the Iranian Artists' Forum, from Monday May 29, for 6 days. Adapted from Parviz Kalantari's original speech in the tribute ceremony for Noureddin Zarrinkelk held by the Illustrators' Association for Children's Books. My train of life met with Noureddin Zarrinkelk's in the text book project for the elementary school and we have been intertwined ever since for more than 44 years. Our collaboration in illustration for the text books was discovered by a young energetic and British educated man named Firooz Shirvanloo who was arrested in 1962 charged with the assassination attempt of the late Shah of Iran and later released after a year of incarceration. After his release, he did not return to his previous job and founded an organization called "The Institute for the Intellectual Development of the Children and Young Adults" (KANOON PARVARESH FEKRI KOODAKAN VA NO-JAVANAN). He then gathered a team of highly talented individuals in order to build up a unique cultural center for children, providing them with all the necessary tools and facilities of arts and entertainment all around the country. One of these rare talented individuals was Noureddin Zarrinkelk who was at that time a PHD pharmacist employed by the Iranian Army as a captain. In the disciplined system of Shah's army, it seemed rather impossible to transfer a military Officer to an artistic organization. But Shirvanloo and his high ranking boss made it possible and once Noureddin was transferred, he pursued his animation education in the Academy of Fine Arts in Gent, Belgium under the direction of Raoul Servais a worldwide well-known animator. Noureddin moved to the so called heart-of-the-Europe with his 23 years old wife and a 4 years old son, studying animation as well as working in Raoul Servais's private studio "PENNFILM". When Zarrinkelk returned to Iran together with his three films and a prize from Annecy Festival, he started immediatly making animated films(1972), founded the first animation school in Iran in 1973 to train young animators. During past three decades, I have been witnessing his devotion and challenges in artistic animation, teaching, directing, as well as writing scripts, illustration, painting, graphics, and in recent years poetry. He has been a member of the International Animation Association (Asifa) since 1970, Member of the Board of Director of Asifa (1991-200), and the President of Asifa since 2003. One of the most important things that he was able to accomplish was to introduce the Persian ancient culture to the new generation through the art of animation and reviving the Persian original stories' heroes challenging the Japanese, Korean and American ugly and low class supermen and super-animals. He has devoted 50 years of his life promoting cultures in general and Persian culture in particular for children. Introduction by: Borivoj Dovniković Bordo