1. Book design
2. Collage
3. Design
4. Fables
5. Freedom
6. Historical fiction
7. History
8. Imagery
9. Literary techniques
10. Mental health
11. Music
12. Resilience
13. Trauma
14. War

‘Sonam and the Silence’ is a special story deserving several rereadings and repeated visual examinations. Seven-year-old Sonam lives in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, a world where music is forbidden. One day she follows a magical melodious sound to a walled garden, and her world is silent no more. The sound is music, and it lifts her up ‘amongst the stars’ and takes her ‘deeper than the tree roots in the earth.’ The story is told by well-known musician, author and broadcaster, Eddie Ayres, based on his own experiences in Afghanistan.

The story imagines one small girl—Sonam—meeting an old man who defies the ban and plays music. When music is forbidden, that, he says, is 'when we need it most'. From the old man, Sonam learns to play the rubab, a traditional instrument made from the wood of a mulberry tree. The message given is that music gives a voice to children who live through war.

The book cover design and illustrations throughout feature mixed media collage in lush colours of wine, purples, aquas, dark greens and browns and blacks. These add a solemn depth to this unusual story that reads like a fable, but is based on a real time, place and people. Ronak Taher, the Iranian-Australian artist, is influenced by Persian traditions of architecture, miniature painting and Afghan cloth patterning in her illustrations here. She uses a mixture of media to add layers and textures to her illustrations. Symbols of freedom, joy and play are found in the gardens, birds and stylised pomegranate tree. The varying colours reflect the events unfolding and the experience of those living through these times. The final page returns to the pinks, ruby reds and purples of the garden leaving the reader with a sense of hope. The complexity of the story and its layers of meaning are presented in depth through the Resources recommended for this book.

1. Allen & Unwin Teachers’ Notes by Ananda Braxton-Smith for ‘Sonam and the Silence’ https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/dimo.allenunwin.com/assets/teaching_resource/9781760293666.pdf
2. CopyrightAgency Reading Australia.2020 Emily Jansen - Teaching resources for ‘Sonam and the Silence’ https://readingaustralia.com.au/books/sonam-and-the-silence/
3. ABC Radio Nation. ‘Eddie Ayres’ foray into children’s books, Sonam and the Silence,’ 21 Aug 2018 https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-book-show/eddie-ayres-foray-into-childrens-books/10139654
4. Australian Government Prime Minister’s Awards, ‘Sonam and the Silence’ shortlisted for the Prime Ministers Children’s Literature Awards, includes author and illustrator profiles and judges’ comments about this book https://www.arts.gov.au/pm-literary-awards/current-awards/sonam-and-silence
5. Books for Keeps, review by Lucy Staines for ‘Sonam and the Silence,’ Jan 2019 https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/review/sonam-and-the-silence/
6. Children’s Books Daily. Review + Teachers’ Notes by Megan Daley for ‘Sonam and the Silence,’ 4 Oct 218 https://childrensbooksdaily.com/book_reviews/review-teachers-notes-for-sonam-and-the-silence/
7. Refugee Council of Australia https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/get-facts/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIis663NvU2gIVTz5gCh1QGgoREAAYAiAAEgImAfD_BwE