This is a lush, colourful book about the life.of Rumi the poet. It tells his story in a very engaging way and is entertaining. The artwork is beautiful and really adds to the reading experience.

What a beautiful book this is. The drawings are beautiful and they go great with the With the story. R u m I was a very beautiful boy and I like how he told the The story of this poem through the birds. What a beautiful book is for a child to read and show Somehow beautiful cultures Is raised in the past. The boy moved to turkey and then he met the great scholar and they were dancing and the birds were happy too. It's interesting how you can bring these books to children. And Maybe they will go further i And reach out to read these different poems by this great poet. It's good to expose children for this makes their learning a lot easier.

This biography about Rumi, a Persian poet, is unlike anything we currently have in our library and would be a great addition. Even though I am familiar with Rumi, the biography was full of new information to learn. The art in this book is beautiful. The bold, eye-catching colors and unique designs give the reader a lot to uncover throughout the illustrations.

The school district and state I teach in recently decided to dedicate the month of January as Muslim Heritage Month. I will be recommending this book to elementary teachers without hesitation, and thanks to this book, I will make it a point to learn more about Rumi in the near future.
As is necessary with any good children's book, the cover illustration immediately caught my attention. The illustrations throughout the book are stunning, so eye-catching, vibrant, and detailed.
The text of the story flows easily and Rumi's story is simplified for young readers. I do wish the author would have included a piece of Rumi's poetry to demonstrate the joy and love the title alludes to, a piece that appeals to young children would be nice.
Unfortunately, the Author's Note was unreadable due to formatting issues. I hope this gets resolved before publication.
Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for allowing me early access to the ARC ebook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this a lot and read it with my little sister! It’s such a nice illustrated book and a simple written story to tell the story of the poet Rumi. I loved it and my sister too :D

Thanks to netgalley and publisher for this arc.

Super colorful beautiful illustrations. Quick children's biography of Rumi. I thought we'd get some of his poems but sadly not.

This gorgeously book tells the story of the famous poet Rumi imagined as a child. The illustrations are stunning and the story is adorable and an easy and enjoyable way to consume a bit of non-fiction. I will be purchasing this for my family library.

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.

"Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love" by Rashin Kheiriyeh is a beautifully illustrated children's book that introduces readers to the life and teachings of the renowned Persian poet, Rumi. The vibrant illustrations by the artist capture Rumi's journey from a curious child to a celebrated scholar and poet, transporting readers to the 13th-century Persian Empire. The book successfully conveys the universal themes of love and friendship, making it a delightful and educational read for both children and adults, celebrating the timeless beauty of Rumi's poetry and culture.

A beautifully illustrated life of the 13th Century Persian poet Rumi, a picturebook written and illustrated for children. As an adult, I also marveled at the pictures by the Iranian artist/illustrator of the book. I can see the picturebook would make a story of Rumi's young life appealing to young readers.

"Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love" by Rashin Kheiriyeh is a beautifully illustrated children's book that introduces young readers to the life and teachings of the renowned Persian poet, Rumi. Enchanting from a young age, Rumi's journey from a curious child fascinated by birds and books to a scholar and poet unfolds in vibrant illustrations that transport readers to the 13th-century Persian Empire.

The book beautifully captures the essence of Rumi's wisdom and warmth, emphasizing the universal themes of love and friendship that resonate across time. Rashin Kheiriyeh, herself from Iran, pays homage to Rumi's legacy with strong colors and ornamental details that bring the historical setting to life.

With stunning and colorful illustrations that complement the narrative, this picture book serves as a touching memorial to Rumi's enduring words. As a celebration of the 750th anniversary of Rumi's death, Kheiriyeh's work invites children to discover the timeless beauty of Rumi's poetry and teachings while appreciating the artistic richness of Persian culture.

What a joyful book and so beautifully illustrated by the very talented Rashin Kheiriyeh. Her use of colour and form is a celebration of characterful illustration. I love the whirling dervishes throughout, to symbolise joy and God and spiritual perfection. And from an illustration point of view, the image of the Simurgh is wonderful. What a real treasure of a book. A lovely gift for any age.
Such a lovely introduction to those who do not know Rumi, but equally to those who do. It will make children (and adults) to seek out and read his work. I think it is a great idea to get more people to learn of Rumi’s work as he is definitely one of the greatest poets.

This is such a stunning picture book with a very unique story in it. Based on a real biography, this story enchanted us. Rumi’s connection with the beautiful nature portrayed in the explosion of colors and his journey to become a poet, will stay with us. We loved it.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗖, 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!

I get, that this is a children's Picture Book… but one is never too old to leaf through a Book and appreciate something which children can enjoy.
This book was beautiful to look at, and I enjoyed the vivid colours, the lush shapes and patterns.

The persian Simurgh for example, Turks have something almost similar, the Konrul.
The Lâleler (Tulips), the Narlar (Pomegranates), the striped Bağlama or the Karanfiller (Carnations).
Loved it!!

And I also enjoyed, that the Author tried to bring Rumi closer to a younger Audience who otherwise might not know or be interested in something outside their cultural sphere.

The Mevlânâ was a fascinating person.
As a child, I liked one of his quotes the most, since I could see it on a serving plate my mother had brought with her from Turkey, everytime she would serve Sigara Börek or Köfte, for example.

It said…
Ayıpsız dost arayan dostsuz kalır. [Hz. Mevlânâ]
(The one seeking for a faultless friend, will remain friendless [ Rūmī])

Oh, how I wanted to be a Derviş… not understanding why it was only men to whirl at that age.
I still do not… understand, that is.

But I do understand, that Mevlânâ himself was a Master… whom I, even as an Agnostic, can agree with on many things in Nature.

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅.

Beautifully illustrated, this tells the story of Rumi as a child, then showing the influences in his life as he grew and matured. I loved the artwork with its vivid colors. It almost seemed to burst from the page at times. I also loved the frequent appearances of the black cat but if there was some significance to that, I'm not familiar enough with his full life or works to say. It was nice, though, amidst the flowers and birds and swirling dancers and motion.

Like most, I'm most familiar with Rumi from his philosophical sayings. That, to be honest, was what I expected the focus of the book to be, I have to admit, given the title. Don't get me wrong. Lots of joy and love here but not so much of his work. It was interesting to discover the influences behind his best work, however, including that of his parents. As a book aimed at children, the information is necessarily concise and doesn't go into great amounts of detail but does convey the sense of his life and writings. As such, I'm not sure how most children will react to the words but would imagine they'll love the bright color bursts of the artwork and the depiction of Rumi's surroundings and people. It'd make a lovely gift.

The bird imagery was a delight, too, as was the emphasis on his joy of reading and curiosity about nature. The theme of loss and forgiveness should resonate, too, as will the impact of jealousy, especially contrasted with the love of his family. His appreciation for the simple things in life, not what money could buy, are also obvious. My thanks to #NetGalley and #NorthSouthBooks for allowing me this sneak peek. Such a beautifully done book and the author's respect for Rumi shines throughout.

Purely aesthetically, this book is gorgeous, and when you add the educational/biographical aspect it is a gem. This is a simple summary of Rumi's life, but it is well narrativized and flows nicely. The colours are lovely and support the text very well. Our store has it on order, and I think it's a great title to have on the shelf!

A cute little book about the poet Rumi. The illustrations are so colourful and wonderful and what I liked most about the book. The story was very short and and easy to read, however it didn't really give that much insight. I also hoped for more of Rumi's poetry in the book. All in all a good starting point to introduce this amazing poet to children.

I loved this, the illustrations are beautiful and the story is very well told, great for children! The story is about Rumi‘s life and doesn‘t contain any of his poems, however, even as an adult who hasn‘t read any of his work, I‘m now very much interested and will be looking more into it! Really beautiful, highly recommend!

Rumi- Poet of Joy and Love reads like an ancient legend. It doesn’t actually share any of the poems/tales of Rumi but will certainly inspire the reader to look them up. It is a beautifully illustrated book that would make a lovely addition to any diverse children’s book collection.

A colorful picture book vividly illustrating the life of one of Persian's most beloved poets. A quick and easy read and a blessing for parents who want their children to be exposed to more diverse literature.