The Green Musician by Mahvash Shahegh

The Green Musician by Mahvash Shahegh Illustrated by Claire Ewart ISBN-13: 9781937786427 Hardcover: 36 pages Publisher: Wisdom Tales Released: August 7, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Publisher's Website:
In a distant kingdom lived a young musician named Barbad. His one dream was to play before the king in the royal court. But Barbad’s way was blocked by Sarkash, a jealous rival who would do anything to stop Barbad from meeting the king. But perhaps the palace wasn’t the only place to play before the king, for he loved to walk in his garden. What if Barbad was to hide in a tree for just the right moment to play?

Find out if Barbad's dream comes true in this magical tale of patience and determination. Stunning artwork from award-winning illustrator, Claire Ewart, gently brings this whimsical story to life. Adapted from a 1,000 year old Persian story by Mahvash Shahegh, the tale of Barbad the musician is originally found in the legendary “Book of Kings” (Shahnameh), which tells the story of the mystical past of ancient Persia.


My Review:
The Green Musician is a children's picture book based on a 1,000 year old Persian story. It's for ages 6 and up. The story is a nice, fairly simple one about a talented boy who finds a way to play for the king even though a rival tries to prevent him. It's a good message about not letting obstacles keep you from your dreams.

The illustrations have the look of watercolor paintings, and they do a good job of telling the story along with the text. I enjoyed just looking at the illustrations for a bit. At the end, the author explained what happened to Barbad after the events in this story, as the tale is based on a real, historical person. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: