Claire Ewart has an amazing talent for illustrating faces, making Mahvash Shahegh’s The Green Musician a truly fascinating book as well as a beautiful one. Characters reappear recognizably in different situations. They even age convincingly, as adults and children will both appreciate. And the green musician of the title hides quite pleasingly in his green world, inviting small readers to seek him out.

The story is smoothly told with a clear old-fashioned cadence. It’s a pleasing tale of persistence and honesty. It’s also a retelling of an ancient Persian classic about a real person, as explained in background pages at the end of the book. For adults, this provides an enjoyable depth to the tale. For small listeners, it offers a reason to come back, again and again, to an old favorite as they themselves grow older.

Real life, rendered with real scenes, becomes as alluring as any fairytale, making this a thoroughly enjoyable children’s book, highly recommended.

Disclosure: I was given a free copy and I love it! ( )