Rumi: Poet of Joy and Love - Perfect Picture Book Friday

Look at that gorgeous gold lettering! Plus other scattered pops of gold on the flowers. It’s a stunning cover that makes a great start to this story about Rumi, an Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic, and a poet for our time.

His story begins with a falling leaf, because it is that time of year.

It began with a leaf
yellow and orange
falling from the tree.

Look at this gorgeous illustration! So many colors and shapes that catch the eye. The birds, here, are magnificent, and rightly so, because they play an important role in the story.

On September 30, 1207—that is a long time ago—a child was born
on a crisp and colorful autumn day in Iran.
They called him Rumi.
Everyone welcomed little Rumi into the world.

And in this next spread, we see Rumi at play in the garden as his mother plays an oud. The scene is joyous and one that kids can identify with. Plus that bird perched on the neck of the oud is pretty spectacular.

Growing up, Rumi loved to play and dance in the garden.
He ran after butterflies and delighted in the scent of roses and 
the songs of the birds.

Little Rumi loved to feed the birds
and watch them fly around.
His favorite bird was a hoopoe,
the symbol of wisdom.

In his adolescence, Rumi receives a book from a great Persian poet, Attar, his epic poem called “The Conference of Birds.” In this poem, many birds sought a mythical bird called Sīmurgh. They struggled on their journey, and only 30 birds ended up making the trip. Once they reached their destination, they realized that they had become the Sīmurgh by flying together as one. What a fabulous metaphor!

Rumi grows older and becomes a poet and scholar, with many followers. But when Rumi befriends a man named Shams, his followers become jealous of the man and force him to leave, never to be seen again. Rumi becomes so sad, his students try to right their wrong, but Shams cannot be found. In his despair, Rumi thinks of Attar’s poem and applies the lesson to his own life. “We are what we seek. I am the Sīmurgh.” He sees his mother in a dream, and she tells him to write and share his stories of friendship, which he does…especially with children.

I love this quote from Rumi that the author includes: “To me nothing in the world is as precious as a genuine smile, especially from a child.”

And the final spread shows Rumi dancing and spinning along with a host of children, together “…they flew like birds.”

In my opinion, there is no better message to leave readers with than “Friendship is the bridge between you and everything,” and “Unity is strength!” The author and fabulous illustrator, Rashin Kheiriyeh, has created a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to reading, learning, writing, children, friendship, and love.

The final page includes an author’s note and bit more information about Rumi and his life. Truly a joyful, marvelously illustrated book!

Activities:

Watch this gorgeous short film of a hoopoe feeding its young.

Make an origami bird that can flap its wings.

Create a drawing, painting, or collage that expresses the idea that “Friendship is the bridge between you and everything.”

To have an interesting discussion about illustration art, pair this book with Ludwig and the Rhinoceros by Noemi Schneider, illus. by Golden Cosmos. Both books express philosophical ideas. Why do you think the art is so different?