Rumi: Poet of Joy and Love - Rashin Kheiriyeh - ★★★.½

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Rashin Kheiriyeh

GENRE: Children's Picture Book, Biography

RATING: 3.5 stars

In a Nutshell: A narrative nonfiction picture book highlighting the life of Sufi poet Rumi. Simple in style, good in content, stunning in illustrations.

Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273) was an Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic. Many readers today might know him for his soulful verses, full of love for the divine. Some misconstrue his declarations to be seeped in romantic love, but his thoughts actually speak of finding God in love. If you read his quotes, you will not be surprised at why this poet is so popular even 750 years after his death.

This picture book presents, in simple prose, the life of Rumi from childhood until his later years. It shows how Rumi was inspired by nature right from young age. In the prime of his life, he also learnt from other wise men around him, including Shams of Tabriz. (I had first encountered Rumi and Shams in Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love, so it was nice to see both of them together, albeit briefly, in this illustrated version.)

My favourite part of the text was the concept of the simurgh - such a beautiful one! I thought it might be a bit too difficult for children to grasp, but a parting note simplifies the idea. I also enjoyed the focus on Sama, the “listening” dance that is still practised today by whirling dervishes.

There is an author’s note and a brief biographical sketch of Rumi in the backmatter.

While I liked the content, it could have been more cohesively structured. Though I already knew about Rumi, I still found a few elements in the text befuddling. The passage of time doesn’t come out clearly in the book. We see Rumi going from a young man to an aged man within a few pages, with no indication of how many years he spent with Shams, or at what age he decided to teach, and so on. The text made the whole Shams scene seem like it was a matter of a few months, but Rumi ages much in those pages.

I also wish there had been more quotes or poems by Rumi. While there are a couple of lines in the main content, and a couple more in the final note, they aren’t enough to make a mark. Rumi was known for his thought-provoking lines, so not seeing much of his wisdom on these pages feels like something vital is missing.

The text and illustrations both are by Rashin Kheiriyeh. This makes it clear why the two are perfectly in sync on every page. The cover art itself brings such joy to the heart, and the inside illustrations are equally gorgeous. There is a strong Persian flavour to the artwork, and the vividness of the hues makes every single page stunning.

All in all, this is a decent beginner book about one of the best Islamic poets. It might be a good option for having a culturally inclusive discussion in classrooms. The book is officially aimed at readers aged 4 to 8, but I am doubtful about its appeal to a major chunk of this age group, except for the illustrations.

Nevertheless, I hope this book sparks at least some curiosity in little minds about this Sufi scholar and gets them to explore more of his thoughts and works.

My thanks to North South Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Rumi – Poet of Joy and Love”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Some of my favourite Rumi quotes, which I wish had been included in the book:

🌹 "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."

🌹 "Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."

🌹 "Don’t make yourself miserable with what is to come or not to come."

🌹 "If you only say one prayer in a day, make it ‘Thank You’."

🌹 “The world is a mountain, in which your words are echoed back to you.”