Music of the Mountains: A Story in Pakistan
Roohi’s grandfather, Neeka Baba, is a master player of the rabab, a traditional stringed instrument from Pakistan. She loves listening to him play with a clap-de-clap-clap rhythm and hearing the songs of her ancestors. Roohi takes daily lessons from Neeka Baba, and dreams of playing just like him at her school’s Eid concert. But when Neeka Baba falls ill, Roohi must continue on her own.
The picturebook is a joyful celebration of Pashtun music and culture, told through the story of a child finding her own way. The importance of passing down tradition is encapsulated by Neeka Baba’s refrain: ‘To play the music of the mountains, you must feel the rhythm, feel the beat of your people.’ The reader feels the musicality of the story through the rhythmic prose, achieved through repetition, alliteration and onomatopoeia.
In contrast to the text, at times the digital illustrations can miss a beat. Roohi is depicted in intricate detail while some of the other characters lack depth and certain scenes feel unfinished. However, the vibrant pink and turquoise colour palette makes the story sing by depicting the connection between landscape and culture; mountains provide a backdrop for many spreads and decorative page borders emulate patterns on Roohi’s embroidered clothing and embellished rabab.
The endpapers provide more information on Pakistan, the rabab and Eid, with a Pashto glossary, a helpful resource for readers less familiar with the culture and language. A lovely book to accompany Eid celebrations and a gateway to exploring Pashtun culture.
