In British Pakistani author Sabrina Shah's heartwarming and joyful U.S. debut, Music of the Mountains, a girl must overcome her feelings of inadequacy to find the courage to play the rabab at her school concert. Zahra's Blessings illustrator Manal Mirza, who is Pakistani American, illustrates this warmhearted intergenerational picture book.
Roohi is excited to play the rabab, "a traditional lute-like instrument," for the Eid celebrations at her school. But she fears she will never be as good a player as Neeka Baba, her grandfather. He tells her she must believe in herself and "play the music of the mountains.... You must feel the rhythm, feel the beat of your people." So, every day leading up to the celebration, she practices with Neeka Baba. But then, he gets sick. Neeka Baba encourages Roohi that it's her turn: "play with the courage of all those who came before you, Guljaan [darling]." Roohi, though, fears she will be a disappointment. "Maybe," her mother says, "play like yourself," and the music cascades from Roohi's rabab as her "heart springs to life with the memory of... sweet mountain melodies."
Shah's prose, using a drum-like beat, features the importance of generational relationships and preserving tradition while simultaneously emphasizing Roohi's individual contribution. Mirza's illustrations have a painterly style; she includes copious texture and detail and elegantly captures characters' emotional states. Information about the rabab and music recommendations, as well as details about where Roohi's family is from, Eid, Roohi's clothing, and a Pashto glossary make up the backmatter. Shah and Mirza's picture book is a triumphant depiction of culture, tradition, and familial bonds. --Hadeal Salamah, blogger, librarian, freelance reviewer