Sign in with Facebook
Jamie's Reviews > Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love
Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love
by
by
So, first of all, the illustrations in this book are beautiful. Seriously fantastic. Magical. Colorful. Simply amazeballs. They're bright and colorful and really well done.
I also appreciate what the author is trying to do here – I'd guess that very few young children know anything about 13th century poets (or poetry in general, really) so it's nice to have a book that exposes them to something new. Kheiriyeh's love for Rumi really shines through in the text and illustrations, and I think it's fantastic that he wants to expose a new generation to his favorite poet.
But …
I guess I'm just not sure how much this book is really going to appeal to the target audience (4-8 years old, according to Amazon)? There's no rhyming or entertaining situations or humor or really anything that's going to appeal to young children. I mean, the pictures are really pretty, but they show Rumi wandering around talking to people and writing things, and that's about it. I really think it's going to take more to get kids interested in long-dead Iranian poets, unfortunately.
Perhaps it'd be useful for elementary students who are just starting to study non-fiction literature at school? Or maybe it could be read as part of a cultural lesson? I can definitely see the educational value of this book, but I just can't imagine it being a favorite that children want to read over and over again.
Overall rating: three stars. It's a lovely book but I fear that it will have limited appeal to its intended readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
I also appreciate what the author is trying to do here – I'd guess that very few young children know anything about 13th century poets (or poetry in general, really) so it's nice to have a book that exposes them to something new. Kheiriyeh's love for Rumi really shines through in the text and illustrations, and I think it's fantastic that he wants to expose a new generation to his favorite poet.
But …
I guess I'm just not sure how much this book is really going to appeal to the target audience (4-8 years old, according to Amazon)? There's no rhyming or entertaining situations or humor or really anything that's going to appeal to young children. I mean, the pictures are really pretty, but they show Rumi wandering around talking to people and writing things, and that's about it. I really think it's going to take more to get kids interested in long-dead Iranian poets, unfortunately.
Perhaps it'd be useful for elementary students who are just starting to study non-fiction literature at school? Or maybe it could be read as part of a cultural lesson? I can definitely see the educational value of this book, but I just can't imagine it being a favorite that children want to read over and over again.
Overall rating: three stars. It's a lovely book but I fear that it will have limited appeal to its intended readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
January 24, 2024
–
Started Reading
January 24, 2024
– Shelved
January 24, 2024
– Shelved as:
arcs-and-such
January 24, 2024
– Shelved as:
non-fiction
January 24, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-3 of 3 (3 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Kiran
(new)
Jan 25, 2024 12:01PM
Rumi's poetry is truly mesmerizing. It is pity that this noble attempt to expose the new generation to his masterful prose might have limited traction.
reply
|
flag
Kiran wrote: "Rumi's poetry is truly mesmerizing. It is pity that this noble attempt to expose the new generation to his masterful prose might have limited traction."I'm obviously in the minority as far as my rating goes, so it's very possible that it'll have more traction than I think! It really is a gorgeous book. 🙂
