Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
January 1, 2019/in Picture Book 5-8 Infant/Junior /by Ellie
BfK Rating:
BfK 234 January 2019
Reviewer: Lucy Staines
ISBN: 978-1760634872
Price: £11.99
Publisher: A&U Children
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: 5-8 Infant/Junior
Length: 32pp
Buy the Book

Sonam and the Silence

Author: Eddie AyresIllustrator: Ronak Taher

Inspired by the true story of a little girl in Afghanistan who attended the school at which author Eddie Ayres taught, this beautifully illustrated story is one of hope, resilience and the special power of music. It will connect children with others who live in very different places and emphasises what we all have in common.

Sonam is seven years old and growing up in Kabul.  Even at this young age, she has a job selling chewing gum to people in their cars. To distract her from the frightening sounds of the traffic and – even more threatening – distant gunfire, she hums to herself, music she has learned from an old man who presents her with a rubab, a lute-like instrument much-loved by Afghans. When her brother finds the instrument, he takes it away and life gets even more frightening as war rages around Sonam and foreign soldiers arrive. Visiting her friend’s garden again, Sonam finds the rubab hidden for her by her brother, and takes pomegranate seeds to grow her own trees.  In the quiet of the garden, the music returns and Sonam realises it is in her heart. We know that as the seeds grow, the music will return too.

Ronak Taher’s illustrations are striking – mixed media collages that use colour and startling compositions to create mood and a sense of the unfolding story: quiet browns and sand colours represent Sonam’s home life, bright greens, turquoises and bold reds depict the old man’s garden and the colours of the rubab’s music. Stark cut outs of shouting soldiers in black and ochre vividly evoke the terrors of war. The final page returns to the pinks, ruby reds and purples of the garden to leave readers with a sense of peace and hope for Sonam and for us all.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Ellie http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Ellie2019-01-01 14:14:312021-03-23 14:16:12Sonam and the Silence

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Effervescent, scintillating, riveting!’ Collection of ‘colossal’ word poems wins the CLiPPA

June 20, 2025

Winners of the 2025 Carnegie Medals announced

June 19, 2025

Inclusive Books for Children book-gifting scheme expands again

June 18, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
The Queen’s Lift-Off How to Make Friends with a Ghost
Scroll to top