A Quill & Quire Best Book of the Year! A fun and touching debut that explores the power of finding your voice.

Rudābeh (Rudy for short) loves to talk, sing, jump and shout. There’s just one problem: the adults in her life are always telling her that she is SO LOUD. When her grandmother (Māmān Bozorg) visits from Iran for the first time, Rudy worries that she might be too loud for her. But as she tries to be quieter, Rudy starts to feel less and less like herself. Listening closely to the many sounds in her world—from husky howls and streetcar chimes to Māmān Bozorg’s roaring sneezes—Rudy tries to figure out the full range of her own voice, discovering along the way the joy in being loud.

With exuberant illustrations by Shiva Delsooz, this charming story will resonate with readers who love to make noise and are still learning where and when to take up space.

SAHAR GOLSHAN is a writer based in Mississauga, Ontario. She is the 2022 winner of the Marina Nemat Award for Creative Writing in Non-Fiction and received the 2019 Air Canada Short Film Award for her short documentary KAR.

Sahar Golshan's profile page

SHIVA DELSOOZ is an Iranian-Canadian illustrator born and raised in Ontario, Canada. She graduated from Loyalist College with a diploma in animation. Shiva has been interested in drawing since early childhood. She grew up with severe hearing loss, and she often used art and music to cope with her situation. Shiva lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Shiva Delsooz's profile page

“This will make a great addition to any library/classroom/home who want to increase their multicultural collection or even just have a wonderful heartwarming story.”

Youth Services Book Review, 02/23/24