This was a beautifully illustrated and gave a bite sized story about Rumi that I hope will stay in a child’s mind in the future so that they may find his poetry. I enjoyed this and believe many young children will.

What a lovely way to start 2024! This book was a pleasant surprise, as I have never read anything directly from Rumi, but I found the illustration on the cover captivating. This book is perfect for younger children, as it is colorful, and the writing would be easily understandable for them as well. As it is a children's book, my point of view might be irrelevant, but I would've loved to have a more detailed story. It is such a quick read, perfect for kids, however, I still felt like I would have loved to read a little more! The illustrations are magnificent, the colors are so bright and there's not a single page where you wouldn't find something to look at. I think it can be a great addition to a child's bookshelf, especially for those, who love Rumi themselves. Furthermore, I would recommend it to anyone who would like to extend their palette and read about different cultures.

A beautifully-illustrated introduction to the poet Rumi, written for children but without being patronising to adult readers like myself. With gorgeous illustrations throughout, the straightforward text introduces us to the key points in Rumi's life and his inspiration.

A lovely little book that I will definitely buy for my niece

I am fascinated by the works of Rumi so was curious to see a children's book with Rumi as the title. Without any preconceived ideas about what it was about, I imagined it to share his wisdom and his sayings; instead shares the life of Rumi and how he became a poet. I had expected more than just a biography but the illustrations were lovely and colorful. I think little kids would enjoy learning about this mysterious man, and further learn about his famous poems.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This children's book does a great job teaching kids about Rumi. It's simple storytelling and beautiful illustrations are engaging for all ages.

This was a cute book. It's not that long, which is perfect for children. The drawings are really nice. I don't know much about Rumi to be honest so the contents of this book were new and interesting to me. It's not a super in-depth look into his life or works, so if that's what you're looking for then a children's book is not the answer. This book provides more of a brief look at a few events in his life, and I think it piques the interest enough to go looking for more complex or detailed stories about him and his works.

Overall, I liked it.

I received an ARC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. My review is entirely my own.

Visually stunning book on a fascinating topic! This was written so well. It was a lovely book about a lovely person.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute kids book!

It's super colorful and the illustrations are fun. The book is a short, kid-friendly version of Rumi's biography and why he is so well-known. It's an educational read that kids may enjoy and learn about being creative themselves from.

Great story and moral message about being a friend to everyone! This is a fantastic book about Rumi.

A beautiful book and lovely introduction to Rumi and teachings.
Suitable for all ages.
This book would make an exceptional gift item

A beautiful colourful children's Book as an introduction to Rumi the Persian Poet from 1207 to 1273 who wrote some of the worlds most beautiful Poems & who is celebrated all around our world even today. His Poems teach us to embrace nature & allow it to show us many wisdoms .This Book is a wonderful introduction to to the world of Rumi. #NetGalley, #Goodreads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>.

I love reading Rumi and his messages. I found this book simple enough to describe to children. I would have to make some adjustments to the word God since many parents object to that word but the simplicity of the story of his life and messages are still available for the children. I also loved the artwork in the book!

This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of one of the greatest poets, Rumi, in simple, yet enchanting language. Since Rumi loved children, I suppose he'd have loved this volume.
Personally, I prefer biographies that were written for children because they boil down a person's life to the most poignant aspects of their life, but never at the expense of understanding where that person came from. I'd highly recommend this book not only to teach about friendship, finding your essence, and the importance of sotrytelling (and listening), but also in my creative writing classes.

Delightful artwork with beautiful prose sharing the life story of a great poet. Even if there were no words in this picture book, there would be a gorgeous story unfolding in the saturated, happy hues alone. But, the words tell the tale of a young Rumi, who grows into one of the worlds greatest poets and teachers. Known for his love of nature and joy in daily life, we see Rumi as a young person reveling in the simple beauty of birds and nature, and growing into a successful teacher who finds friendship and a deepening faith. Young readers will feel a desire to slow down and observe the world around them in exploring this book, and may ask to read the poems of Rumi who loves birds and beauty and friends. The depiction of Persian myths of birds is another lovely element. And, while at times the language can feel a little overly….educational is perhaps the best word…the world created and the magic of language and power of family and life well outweighs any slow reading moments. The metaphors blending nature with friendship and happiness are special, and the sense of deep faith and depiction of joy and happiness in Sufi tradition bridges the beauty of the illustrations and the feelings of love and friendship. The authors note and history of Rumi at the end were a nice touch. I find the only thing I found wanting here was a few poems from Rumi set to the gorgeous illustrations we see throughout his life in the book; but I guess I’ll have to use my imagination to create the color as I pick up a book of Rumi’s poems. And, I feel, this is the goal of this beautiful book: to have us want to read Rumi’s words. Lovely.

From one of the most acclaimed Iranian illustrators comes an exquisite introduction to the legendary poet Rumi, targeted at children. Rashin Kheiriyeh, the winner of the Golden Apple of Bratislava, has pulled a rabbit out of the hat and more with "Rumi - Poet of Joy and Love".

In a short span of 40 pages, Kheiriyeh whips up the curiosity of her reader in wanting to know more about one of the greatest literary figures our world has ever seen. Beginning with the birth of Rumi in 1207, the author traces - with the help of some glorious illustrations, the growth of Rumi as an inquisitive child, an attentive adolescent and a keen cultivator of relationships. Influenced greatly by a book titled "The Conference of the Birds" gifted to him by a famous Persian poet, Attar, Rumi experienced a dramatic shift in outlook.

This outlook was further enhanced and embellished by his friendship with the Persian spiritual teacher, Shams. Literally meaning "the sun", Shams regaled Rumi with chronicles of his extensive travel. As Rumi's friendship with Shams bloomed, Rumi's students (by now Rumi was a teacher) turned jealous and goaded Shams to get away from Rumi.

Although the disappearance of Shams devastated Rumi, it also broadened his perspective, and his writings took on a seraphic quality that continues to mesmerise his readers till today.

Rumi - Poet of Joy and Love, no better gift for a parent to gift to their literary inclined child!

Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love by Rashin Kheiriyeh is published by NorthSouth Books Inc. and will be available for sale beginning 05 March. 2024

Thank You Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy!

Rumi- Poet of Joy and Love is a beautifully illustrated telling of Rumi’s life and what inspired him. Rumi’s wisdom is displayed in a way that children can embrace.

A Beautuful recounting if Rumi’s growth and life and how he became a powerful influence of love and acceptance in the world. Perfect for these times where there is such division regarding race, religion, etc. Beautuful illustrations add to the story and provoke conversation as well.

Thank you NorthSouth Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The illustrations are beautiful! The cover is was caught my attention. I also love the message that this book gives.

This book is wonderful. The text is great, it explains about someone many American children will not know much about, and the book could draw anyone at all in with its truly exquisite illustrations!

A picture book biography of Rumi that threads the needle of describing his life when there are multiple sources of what happened, including some fantastical scenarios. This one chooses to simplify his meeting with Shams and connect it to the poetic nature of his teacher's name, meaning "the Sun," rather than pick sides on the specifics of his disappearance. The story reads more as a fable and introduction to the themes of his poetry than anything resembling a report book. And the main strength of the picture book is the gorgeous colored illustrations. The representation of Rumi's SIMURG with smaller birds drawn within the larger form is beautifully drawn (but, again, not technically made of thirty birds for the persnickity reader). A beautiful introduction to a masterful writer.