Library Intern Book Reviews
Review of Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford
Publisher
Roaring Brook Press
City
New York, New York, United States of America
Date of Publication
2008
ISBN
9781596432765
Date of Review
2012
Disciplines
Library and Information Science | Modern Literature
Keywords
Children's literature, reviews
Recommended Citation
Aho, Michael, "Review of Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford" (2012). Library Intern Book Reviews. 61.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/61
Review
This book was beautifully artistic. It’s told from the perspective of a boy, Ali, who lives in modern-day Baghdad and loves Arabic calligraphy. He teaches readers different names and words in Arabic and relates the story of the famous Arabic calligrapher, Yakut; he also tells of his life in Baghdad and his experience during the war in Iraq. The pages are beautifully drawn and the art in the pages seems to mimic the Arabic letters on the pages with the long curvy lines. The educational quality of the books is quite significant since it teaches young readers about life for Iraqi children as well as pieces of another language. The book’s subtle message for peace is also quite heart-warming as Ali finds it is hard to write “peace” instead of “war” but struggles onward despite his difficulties. The author also provides a brief history and description of Arabic calligraphy in the back, including an overview of Yakut al-Musta´simi. Overall, the book is beautiful, both educationally and artistically. Highly Recommended. Reviewed by Michael Aho, Library Intern, Cedarville University, Cedarville, Ohio