Five Picture Books About Immigrants, Refugees, Migrants

 

If you are looking for some new books about immigrations, refugees, and migrants that are inspiring, hopeful, and empathic, look no further that these new books. Each has a different story to tell with one thing in common - seeking refuge, safety and a welcoming smile to those who have left their homeland.

The Suitcase 

written and illustrated by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

HMH BFYR, 2020, 32 pages

After a long, arduous journey over mountains and across a sea, a sad odd-looking teal colored creature arrives in a new land carrying a big suitcase. He is met with suspicion and skepticism by a red bird, an orange fox and a yellow rabbit. What is in the suitcase, they want to know. The teal creature tells them there is a teacup, a table to sit at and chair to sit on while drinking tea, and a little kitchen to make the tea in a cabin on a hillside with a clear view to the sea. Of course, bird, fox, and rabbit don't trust the new creature, and while he sleeps, they decide to break open his suitcase. Inside, they find a shattered teacup and an old photograph. Meanwhile, the creature dreams about running away, hiding, climbing mountains and swimming in the sea to safety. When he wakes up, he sees what the bird, fox, and rabbit have done to his suitcase, but he also sees a mended teacup sitting on a table with chair in front of a little house. Surprised and touched, the creature turns to his new friends and tells them there is just one problem - they are going to need more teacups. What looks to be a story about animals not welcoming refugees, turns out to be one of welcome and friendship. You can download an activity pack that includes discussion suggestions and story activities for The Suitcase HERE

Sugar in Milk 

by Thrity Umrigar, Khoa Le

Running Press Kids, 2020, 48 pages

A young girl emigrates from India to New York by herself to live with her aunt and uncle. They try their best to make her feel at home, but she's still sad, missing her family, her friends, and her cats. One day, her aunt takes her for a walk and tell her a story about a group of people who were forced to leave their homes in Persia and find refuge elsewhere. Arriving at an Indian kingdom, the king tell them they are not welcome, his land is already too crowded and the refugees "look foreign and speak a strange and different language I do not understand." Not speaking the same language, the king pours a glass of milk to indicate his land was full like the glass. The leader of the tired travelers takes the milk and adds a spoonful of sugar to it, indicating to the kind that though different, both people could live in peace, and "just like sugar in milk, we will sweeten your lives with our presence." Convinced, the king allows the refugees to remain in this kingdom. The story changes the young girl's outlook, helping her to realize that her new home is a welcoming place if she is willing to embrace it. The story the aunt tell has its roots in Parsi folktales. The illustrations that accompany the aunt's tale are just exquisite with a feel of ancient India, while the illustrations that frame the tale and much more modern. This is such a beautiful book about what immigrants bring to a new country with a message of hope and acceptance. It is a wonderful addition to any library.

The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story

written and illustrated by Thao Lam

Owlkids, 2020, 40 pages

In this wordless picture book, a young girl and her mother are forced to flee their country (Vietnam) because of war. As the family is eating a meal, the young girl rescues ants which the adults are swatting at. Later, when she and her mother leave their home, they are accompanied by the rescued ants. Mother and daughter must first hide from the officers hunting down refugees. Eventually, the ants lead them to where they must wait for a boat to take them away. The story switches to the ants sailing away in a paper boat at this point. Their journey is filled with hardships - a too hot sun beating down on them, thirst, seagulls overhead attacking and looking for food, an ant that drowns, and a thunderstorm that destroys their boat, sending all the ants into the water. Eventually they find land and are met with many more refugee ants. The story switches back to the girl and her family now living in safety in what looks like an city full of refugees from other parts of the world. Lam uses the ants to represent the difficult journey made by the mother and child. Lam's cut paper collages and the wordlessness of the story really capture the danger faced by many refugees when they are forced to leave their family and their home. She used simple colors - orange, pink, blue, and black to create these emotional illustrations. This is a story of bravery and hope despite hardship. You can find a detailed discussion and activity guide for this book HERE Kids can make their own origami paper boat with these instructions from the publisher, Owlkids

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The Day Saida Arrived by Susana Gómez Redondo,

illustrated by Sonja Wimmer, translated from the Spanish by Lawrence Schimel

Blue Dot Kids Press, 2020, 32 pages

Saida, a newly arrived immigrant, has just begun school and is immediately befriended by a girl in her class who thinks Saida has lost her words because she doesn't speak. She searches everywhere to find them but to no avail. Then her father explains that Saida comes from Morocco where they speak Arabic, a language different from her own. And so the two new friends decide to teach each other their language. Together, they experience the joys and difficulties of learning a new language, as well as experiencing each other's culture through stories, poems and food. And their future plans? Why, a trip to Morocco someday (a place that is on my own bucket list). The language is beautifully lyrical and full of playfulness and emotion. The stylized illustrations are hand-painted in a combination of bold and soft colors and done in acrylic paint and crayons. This celebration of friendship, empathy, and respect is one you will want to share with your young readers - again and again. The English and Arabic words are scattered throughout the text, including a phonetic pronunciation of the Arabic words. You can find an extensive Teachers' Guide for this book HERE 

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Migrants

written and illustrated by Issa Watanabe

Gecko Press, 2020, 40 pages

This is one of those books that just moved me in a way that surprised even me. It is a wordless book, with different very colorful, very individualized animals traveling together set against a very black background in which you can see the leafless forest through which the animals are walking. The animals are followed by death in the form of a skeleton, and a blue ibis, a bird that symbolizes life and death, past and present, according to the author. The story follows their journey from the time they enter the forest, as they sit together and share a meal, then their journey over water in an overcrowded boat, and finally landing in a new country, where readers will notice that colorful flowers in the background begin to replace the leafless muted forest. Their journey may have been successful, but they did suffer one loss on the way that affected all the travelers and probably most readers. This is a picture book for older readers that is sure to generate some interesting and much needed discussions. The publisher, Gecko Press, has posted an informative interview with the author that I would highly recommend reading, and you can find it HERE. You can also find a useful guide for lessons that can be used in a classroom HERE

This is one of those illustrations where wordlessness
speaks louder than words.

What am I reading this week? The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel and The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn and lots of picture books. 

What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? - from Picture Books to YA is a kidlit focused meme hosted weekly by Jen at Teacher Mentor Texts and by Kellee at Unleashing Readers. Its purpose is to recap what you have read and/or reviewed and plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. #IMWAYR

A Journey Toward Hope by Victor Hinojosa & Coert Voorhees, illustrated by Susan Guevara

A Journey Toward Hope 

by Victor Hinojosa & Coert Voorhees, 

illustrated by Susan Guevara

Six Foot Press, 2020, 40 pages

It's sometimes hard for Americans to think about allowing their children to travel unaccompanied by an adult through their own and neighboring countries, but that is exactly what sometimes happens when kids lives in countries where they are no longer safe. And that is the story of the four migrant children in this book. 

Alessandra, 10 leaves her home in Guatemala, hoping to reunite with her mother; Laura, 13, and her brother Nando, 7, must leave El Salvador and live with their aunt and uncle in the US; 

Rodrigo, 14, is leaving his home in Honduras where things are no longer safe for him, and joining his parents in Nebraska. 

As they journey toward the United States, they meet and form themselves into a protective little family. Their journey is long and often perilous. At one point, Laura falls out of the boat to Mexico and Rodrigo loses a shoe and must go barefoot until he is given shoes at a shelter. 

The children are often hungry, but sometimes find kindness among strangers in shelters where they can sleep and among other who give them food. They must travel by foot and by boat, but once they are in Mexico, they can jump La Bestia, a series of connecting trains where they must ride atop the cars, the most dangerous part of the trip, but one that will take them closer to the U.S. border. 

Though the story ends before they do reach the United States/Mexico border, their journey is always a journey of hope - each child has a dream for their future that they hope can be fulfilled in America. 

This is an excellent picture book for older reader for introducing them to what is going on in the world today, particularly at the border between American and Mexico, and generating some informative discussions. Each child's story is simply told in accessible language. The illustrations are bright, done in a palette of soft pastels. Readers will also notice that each child has a lightly drawn animal by him or her. Be sure to read the Illustrator' Note to discover the meaning behind these animals. There is also more information in the back matter about the reality of life for migrant children as well as ways to get involved and help. Though I have reviewed the English edition of this book, there is a Spanish language edition available as well: Una jornada hacia la esperanza.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+

This book was gratefully received from Casey Blackwell at Media Masters Publicity 

The Border by Steve Schafer

As usual, Pato, 16, his mother and father always seem to arrive late for get togethers, and cousin Carmen's quinceañera is no different. On their way into the house to join the happy, noisy celebration, Pato notices a suspicious car parked nearby, noticeable because it is completely painted black, even the bumpers. He briefly debates with himself about saying something, after all, there are two men in the car carefully watching the house, but in the end, he decides it is probably nothing. Soon after arriving, Carmen's older brother, Arbo, Pato's cousin and best friend, head out to their favorite spot in the desert behind the house with Marcos, 17, a ace soccer player, and his sister Gladys, 15. But the celebratory noise is suddenly interrupted - not by fireworks, but by the sound of gunshots - lots of them.

Back at Arbo's house, they discover that everyone has been shot dead execution style. To make matters worse, Marcos kills one of the shooters, whose brother recognizes him and threatens to kill all four of them. Realizing they have to get away, even before they can process what has just happened, Pato remembers an older man that he and Arbo had helped once as part of a school project. Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys head out to Señor Ortiz's house on the outskirts of town.

Señor Ortiz agrees to let them stay for a while and even goes into town to see if he can hear any news about the shooting. Returning, he tells them that the shooting was done as a warning by members of a drug cartel called La Frontera who control every aspect of life in their Mexican town. The school photos of all four teens have been posted everywhere, offering a very big reward for them. The teens decide that the only thing they can do is try to cross the desert and slip over the border into the United States. But this is a trip that proves easier said than done.

The Border, though timely, is a difficult book to read. It isn't enough that these teens have just lost their families to gun violence, but they are also trying to survive on a hot, unrelenting desert which is a struggle for anyone, but even worse if you are completely unprepared the way Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys are.

The story is told completely from Pato's point of view, and I think this is a story that would have lent  itself better to multiple viewpoints. I would have like to know what is going on for the other three teens. But despite that, each person's personality comes across distinctly, and there is even some humor to be found, as well as an attraction between Pato and Gladys, giving the unbelievable horror of their stories more of a human face. 

With everything that has been going on in this country regarding the border and immigrants from Mexico, and Central America, this is a very relevant story. While this country builds walls to keep desperate people out, or puts them into cages, and deprives them of any shred of human dignity, it is easy to see why people are willing to risk everything to escape local violence and abuse. 

The Border is a book for older, mature teens, even though Pato, Arbo, and Gladys are only 15-years-old. It is a very realistic novel and there is, as I've said, violence and some mild sex, as well as profanity. But it is really an eye-opening experience for those who do decide to read it.

This book is recommended for readers age 14+

This book was an EARC received from NetGalley 

The Refuge by Sandra le Guen, illustrated by Stéphane Nicolet, translated from the French by Daniel Hahn

Understanding the reasons why people flee their homes during a war and the hardships they face in places where they are often unwanted is difficult for kids to understand, leaving them unsure of what to do when a young refugee moves into the neighborhood and is put into their class. Here is a book, told from the perspective of a girl who has a new classmate and who is a refugee.

The Refuge by Sandra le Guen, illustrated by Stéphane Nicolet,

translated from the French by Daniel Hahn

Amazon Crossing Kids, 2020, 36 pages

When Jeannette tells her mother that there is a new girl at school who keeps looking up at the sky, she encourages her daughter to see if the new girl would like to play together. Little by little, using gestures and chalk drawings, the new girl, Iliana, tells Jeannette that there was a war in her homeland and her parents decided it was best to leave:

Soon, the two girls are friends, spending recess together, and even waving to each other in class, plus they have a common interest - the sky and all its wonders. In the crowded boat that Iliana's family had taken to escape, her mother suggested her to look at the night sky that she loved so much and watch the changes in the moon, stars and even the clouds.

As Iliana tells Jeannette more and more about her family's harrowing escape from her home, Jeannette relays it all to her parents:

An invitation to Iliana and her family to come over for tea is gladly accepted. During the visit, Iliana's parents tell Jeannette's parents about their trip and finally arriving at a place where they are granted asylum:

But it is Jeannette's tree house that really excites Iliana, who calls it a "cool refuge" and soon the two girls are having a nighttime adventure looking at the sky. I kept thinking the name of this book should have been The Refugee, but it isn't, it's The Refuge and what is a refuge other than a safe place to be. As Iliana explains to Jeannette: the sky is a refuge for everybody. No barriers, no borders." What a lovely metaphor for freedom and safety. Would that it were like that here on earth, but as Jeannette shows readers, it can begin with one person.

I thought it was interesting that Iliana's story is told by Jeannette. Her friendliness and empathy as she gets to know her new friend is a wonderful example for young readers to see. They don't often get to see the perspective of an outsider like Jeannette when it comes to refugee stories. And if the sky is a figurative refuge, the friendship between the two girls and a between the two families is a literal refuge.

The Refuge is such a lovely story and the illustrations really capture what Iliana's family went through in very easy to comprehend stylized digital illustrations. Nicolet has captured the war in the the chalk drawings in the first illustration above, followed by the barbed wire and the dangerous journey across a rough sea in the clothing of Jeannette's parents as she tells them about her friend's escape and they 'take it in.' The next illustration shows the family leaving their war-torn country, walking away from the exploding gunshots, stepping over the barbed wire that separated them from danger and safety, and arriving at a safe place - what a powerful illustration!

I can't recommend this book highly enough and I can't wait to see my young readers and share it with them. I think I will pair it with Dreamers by Yuyi Morales and The Day War Came by Nicola Davis, two books we've already read and loved.

This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was gratefully received from Barbara at Blue Slip Media

Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Eleven-year-old Maximiliano Cordoba loves playing fútbol, and hopes to someday play on the celebrated Santa Maria national team just like his Papá and his Abuelo did when they were young. And tryouts are only a few weeks away. But when Max is invited to join a fútbol clinic in another town, his father refuses to give him permission to go. Instead, Max is invited to help his father find needed stones for building a new bridge, and earning money to buy a new pair of coveted soccer shoes. Additionally, Papá and buelo offer to coach Max themselves so he can make the team,

But when Max learns that he will need a birth certificate to play on the Santa Maria team, he also learns that his Papá doesn't have a copy of it. Nor does Max know where his mother is, only that she left when he was a baby.

Max is also fascinated with the stories his buelo tells him about the Hidden Ones, people who are fleeing the neighboring country of Abismo and seeking sanctuary in a place called Mañanaland, and with the Guardians of the Hidden Ones, local people, including his father and grandfather, who secretly escort the runaways to the next safe checkpoint.

While his Papá goes to San Clemente to see if he can get a birth certificate for Max, Max's curiosity overcomes him and he looks through his father's private papers. Finding a rubbing with the word Mañanaland on it, he knows that it came from one of the stones in the run down abandoned tower, La Reina Gigante, overlooking Santa Maria. Forbidden to go to the tower alone, Max sneaks off anyway looking for more information about his mother, and finds a stone with her name scratched on it. He decides Mañanaland holds the key to finding his mother, but where is it and how do you get there?

When an opportunity to escort a very young runaway comes his way while home alone late one night, Max jumps at the chance to be her Guardian, hoping to find information about where his mother really is. The journey proves to be perilous, but Max discovers that the stories his buelo has always told him are in fact truer than he would have thought, and that perhaps Max was being groomed not just to be a great fútbol player, but also a next generation Guardian, and a pilgrim, true of heart.

What I think about Mañanaland:
I have to be honest and say this book begins slowly, almost too slowly. But I have enjoyed the author's other books, so I kept reading, and a some point, I realized that I was totally hooked into Max's story. Max is a sweet boy, maybe too sweet. Under the circumstances of not being allowed to do things without knowing why, I would have expected more reaction - especially when he isn't allowed to join his best friend at the fútbol clinic. So I was kind of glad when he began to seek some answers about his life on his own.

For the most part, Max's story seems to be divided into two unrelated threads - his desire to play fútbol and his desire to find out about his mother. But then Ryan begins to tie these two threads together in the most unexpected way and that when the book becomes unputdownable. And that's all I can say without adding a spoiler alert.

Although the story is fantasy and place, Santa Maria is located "somewhere in the Américas," the plight of the Hidden Ones mirrors much of what is really happening in the world today. Many in Santa Maria, especially in government positions consider the Hidden Ones to be criminals and thieves, mirroring the sentiment of our government today towards refugees from Central America trying to get to the United States in the hope of a better, safer life, making this a very timely novel. 

Mañanaland is an imaginative, lyrical, even magical novel, enveloping Max's coming of age quest for truth. But it is also a mystery that unfolds in some surprising ways, even as it challenges readers to think about what they would do if they were in Max's shoes. It is, simply, a book not to be missed.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from Scholastic Press.

The Boy At the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, illustrated by Pippa Curnick

It's three weeks after the beginning of a new school year and suddenly there's a new boy named Ahmet sitting in what had up until then been an empty seat. But while he may be a student in Mrs. Khan's class, he doesn't ever participate, nor does he go to lunch or out into the schoolyard with the other kids. No one knows where he goes during lunch break, so naturally all kinds of wild rumors abound. And although the narrator Alexa, age 9, keeps making friendly overtures to Ahmet, it is to no avail. But when Alexa and her friends Josie, Tom, and Michael overhear teachers talking about Ahmet, they learn he is a refugee kid and that no one speaks his language.

The school finally brings in a class assistant to work with Ahmet. Meanwhile, Alexa and her friends keep trying to be friends with him, until finally Ahmet is allowed to go out and play in the schoolyard with the other kids. And imagine their delight when they discover he can kick a mean football/soccer ball - well, everyone except Brandon the class bully who hates everyone who's different.

Little by little, Ahmet's story comes out and the kids learn that his family had had to escape Syria when the fighting there began, and that his baby sister had drowned crossing the Mediterranean Sea, and that he had somehow become separated from his parents and doesn't know where they are.

Alexa's father had passed away when she was little, and now her mother has to work long hours, so she has some idea of how Ahmet must be missing his parents. She also learns that her Austrian grandmother had had to escape the Nazis in WWII and that she had then worked to help other escape, too. All of which is why, when she overhears that the border is closing in a week and the United Kingdom won't be accepting any more refugees, she and her friends decide to do something about reuniting Ahmet with his parents.

When the first plan Alexa, Tom, Josie, and Michael come up doesn't produce results, Alexa come up with "the Greatest Idea in the World." This plan consists of getting a letter to the Queen explaining Ahmet's situation, the urgency of reuniting him with his parents before it's too late, and asking for her help. After putting the plan into action, the kids end up becoming front page news in the newspapers and on television. All of this bring the plight of refugees to the fore, which is good, and it also brings out people's true feelings - both positive and negative - about the refugee crisis.

Narrated in the first person by a very empathic Alexa, this is a book that looks at the refugee crisis with humor but does not skirt the serious problems faced by refugees. From learning a new language, to making friends, fighting off bullies, dealing with those who dislike and resent all refugees, to mourning the loss of his sister, missing and worrying about his parents and homesickness, Raúf has written a moving middle grade story that highlights the kinds of things Ahmet, and all refugees, must deal with.

Some may feel that this book is too British for American readers, but I don't think that should be a problem for today's readers, and that's not what's important. What is important is Ahmet's story shows what a difference friends can make in the life of a scared child. This is a warmhearted, feel good story that ends on a very hopeful note, but in case you are afraid it is just another "white savior" story, check page 231 first.

I should say that when I read The Boy At the Back of the Class, I had no idea what the narrator's gender is. Her name doesn't appear until the end of the book. And it was kind of fun not knowing, but unfortunately, it has been used in reviews and I followed suit. I feel like this is a spoiler, but I hope I can be forgiven.

Raúl has included some important back matter to help you readers learn and understand more about refugees. Among other things, there are questions to think about and an interesting chart to fill out. Do read the Author's Note for some important background that lead to the creation of The Boy At the Back of the Class.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was bought for my personal library

Be sure to check out the other Marvelous Middle Grade Monday offerings, now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle. 

Nine Picture Books About Immigrants and Refugees

I've been exploring stories about immigrants and refugees with my young readers and I thought I would share the books we have read with you. I chose these for their variety and to give the kids a well-rounded appreciation for the reasons people need to leave their homeland and the kind of courage it takes to start over again in a strange place, no matter what your age is. I hope you find them as interesting and as informative as we did.

Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story written by Leslèa Newman, illustrated by Amy June Bates
Abrams BFYR, 2019, 42 pages
When living in their small Jewish Eastern European village is no longer safe for Gittel and her mother, they decide to emigrate to the United States, where Mama's cousin Mendel lives. When an eye infection prevents Mama from boarding the ship to the US, she decides to send Gittel alone. Clutching Cousin Mendel's address, scared and along, Gittel makes the crossing, but by the time she reaches New York, the ink on the paper has rubbed away and no one read the address. Luckily, a kind Yiddish interpreter and a photographer have an idea about how to unite Gittel with Cousin Mendel.

This is a lovely story that highlights the bravery of children (or for that matter, anyone) leaving their home and traveling far despite the difficulties for a better life in America. Gittel's Journey is based on two true stories from the author's family (see the Author's Note). The watercolor illustrations are done in subtle browns, yellows and blues, with Gittel and her mother the only full color figures throughout. The illustrations and Newman's expressive text are frames in woodcut designs, giving the book an old-fashioned, yet timeless, feel. Back matter includes a Yiddish Glossary, and a Bibliography. 

The Day War Came by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb
Candlewick Press, 2018, 32 pages
The day war came begin like any other day, the young narrator tells us. First breakfast with her family, then school. But the war arrives just after lunch, full of smoke, fire and noise, turning everything to rubble, including the narrator's home and happy family. Walking alone, the narrator follows a crowd of other refugees, eventually arriving in another country. Living in a hut with other refugees, the narrator quickly realizes that war has taken hold of her, and everywhere she goes, she is told there is not place for her, even in the local school. But just as she sinks into overwhelming despair, a knock on the door, a young boy proves to be just what she needs - acceptance and place to belong. This powerful free verse poem captures so poignantly the heartbreak of war, the desolation of loss, and of finding yourself alone in the world as an unwanted refugee so well through the eyes of a young girl. The color pencil and watercolor illustrations are simple yet sensitive and child-friendly, reflecting the vulnerability of the narrator (and all people impacted by war) throughout. It is a story that will hopefully accomplish what the author set out to do: "remind us all of the power of kindness and its ability to give hope for a better future."

You can download a discussion guide for The Day War Came from the publisher HERE 

My Name is not Refugee written and illustrated by Kate Milner
The Bucket List, 2017, 32 pages
A young boy and his mother talk about the journey they are about to take because their homeland is no longer safe for them. She tells him they will be leaving old friends and to think about what to pack, and the long journey ahead of them by foot, the people they will meet, the things they will see. After the journey, she explains, they will sleep in strange places, hear strange words, eat different food until they finally have a home again and begin to understand things in their new country. And, she tells him, that he will be called refugee, but to remember that his name is not refugee. What's different about this book is that they haven't left on their long journey yet, so that at each juncture talked about, readers are also prompted to think about what they would do if they were about to go on the same trip, making this an interactive book that puts the reader into the shoes of a refugee, making the experience more realistic for them when they need to consider something like what to take and what to leave behind. The illustrations are simple and expressive.

A teacher's guide is available from the publisher that can be downloaded HERE

Calling the Water Drum by LaTisha Redding, illustrated by Aaron Boyd
Lee & Low Books, 2016, 32 pages
When they receive money from his Uncle Jacques in New York City, Henri's parents buy a rickety old boat in the hope of successfully crossing from Haiti to the United States. Told not to tell anyone what they are planning, Henri, his mother and father set out in the middle of the night. It's scary out in to ocean in a small boat that's taking on water. When the waves get bigger and rougher, the boat capsizes. Henri's father puts him on top of the boat, while he and his mother try to hold on. As it get rougher, they loose their hold and disappear into the water. Rescued by another boat, Henri lives with his uncle in NYC. The only thing he has left if the bucket he used in Haiti to help his parents with chores. Henri is unable to speak due to the trauma of losing his parents, but now, he uses the bucket as his voice and to drum his feelings about his loss. Henri does make a friend, Karrine, who lost her father in Hurricane Katrina.

This is a realistic, moving story that really portrays the uncertainty and danger, as well as the courage and tenacity refugees face as they try to escape to a better, safer life. Henri's story does end on a hopeful note, as he finds his voice and learns to laugh again. The realistic watercolor illustrations really capture the dangers and struggles Henri faced.

You can download a useful Teacher's Guide for Calling the Water Drum from the publisher HERE

Marwan's Journey by Patricia de Arias, illustrated by Laura Borràs
Minedition, 2018, 36 pages
When war comes to his (unnamed) country, a young boy finds himself fleeing on foot across the desert, his footsteps leaving behind"a trace of ancient stories, the songs of my homeland, and the smell of tea and bread, jasmine and earth" and apparently his deceased mother. By day, this small refugee carries the sound of his mother's voice urging him on, step by step, and to never look back. At night, he dreams of her coming to tuck him in. As he walks with others who are also fleeing, crossing borders to other countries, the boy thinks about his happy home life before the war - his mother lightning a nighttime fire, his father telling stories, their garden, their cat, and the ray of morning sun that shone on his pillow - and he vows he will someday return and rebuild his home and recapture that happiness.

Marwan's Journey is a simple story of fear, loss, and sorrow, but also of courage, hope, and promise lyrically written in a youthful voice that goes far capturing the emotional impact war and flight have on a young child. de Arias' words create beautiful text images and metaphors, complimented by Borràs' stylistic ink and color wash illustrations done in a palette of desert colors against sand-colored paper reminiscent of the desert Marwan is crossing.

This is a beautifully rendered book highlighting the impact refugee crisis in today's world has on young people.

A Shelter in Our Car by Monica Gunning, illustrated by Elaine Pedlar
Children's Book Press (imprint of Lee & Low), 2004, 32 pages
After her father died, Zettie and her mother moved from Jamaica to the United States seeking a better life. But things didn't work out exactly as they has hoped, and now they are living in the car, driving from place to place to try to sleep for the night. It's a struggle because Zettie's mom can't get a permanent job, so they can't get an apartment. When her mother does find a day's temporary job, they eat better then their usual peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. To her credit, mom is going to community college, and makes sure Zettie attends school every day. School, however, isn't the safe haven it should be as Zettie is made fun of and bullied by kids calling her Junk Car Zettie. The story is essentially one about a night and day in the life of a homeless girl and her mother, and depicts some disturbing truths - sirens interrupting sleep, getting ready for school in a park bathroom, getting chased away from one parking spot by an unfriendly cop.

The boldly painted illustrations really accent Zettie's feelings of loneliness and fear. However, I'm not sure I care for the boldly painted stylized illustrations that look  a little to much like caricatures of Afro Caribbean characters to me. On the other hand, they reminded me very much of the fear and angst Edvard Munch depicted in his expressionistic painting The Scream.

A Shelter in Our Car is a picture book for older readers and while it isn't a immigrant/refugee story per se, it is not uncommon for those coming to this country for a better life to end up in shelters or cars. What it does do is tackle this complicated phenomenon of homelessness that has plagued this country for too long. But it's also a powerful story about family, hope, courage, and love even as it tackles a complicated phenomenon that has plagued this country for too long.

You can download a useful Teacher's Guide for A Shelter in Our Car from Lee & Low.

King of the Sky by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin

Candlewick Press, 2017, 60 pages

This is the story of a young immigrant boy from Rome, who hasn't learned much English yet and who feels not yet feel like he belongs in his new home in Wales. One day, as he watched a crumpled old man with a cane and a smile like springtime release his pigeons, the man spoke to him "I like to see them fly...after so long underground."  Clearly sick and disabled from working in a coal mine all his life, Mr. Evans becomes the boys first friend, handing him a pigeon to name, own, and train to be a champion. Together, they begin training the boy's pigeon, but as Mr. Evans goes weaker, and the boy's doubt that his pigeon, King of the Sky, is a winner grows stronger, the bird is entered into a long distance race of more than 1,000 miles beginning in Rome. After days and stormy weather go by and still no sight of King of the Sky, Mr. Evans, now bedridden, sends the boy out side to welcome his bird home - as the bird finds its way home and into the boys waiting arms, the knows he, too, is at last home. 

Told from the point of view of the young boy, a nameless narrator throughout, this is such a compelling and poignant story that shows how a simple act of kindness can help an immigrant, or anyone who feels like they are outsiders and don't belong, feel welcome. The somewhat smudged mixed-media illustrations carried that sense of not belonging, but evoked a sense of time and place for me. First, with the grey, rainy landscape that one finds in Wales, and also in row houses so common in mining villages like the one my dad grew up in, and the image of boy and man sitting at the table eating Mrs. Evans's welsh cakes, a picture and taste from my own childhood and afternoon tea.

Teachers and Home Schoolers can find a wonderful classroom ideas courtesy of Candlewick Press HERE

Mustafa written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books, 2018, 40 pages

Mustafa and his family have left their (unnamed) war-torn  country and have new settled into a new urban home in an unnamed country. As Mustafa ventures into a nearby park, exploring this new flowering place with green grass and leafy trees. It looks nothing like the country he left behind all gray and dusty. Then, he sees a young girl walking a cat. When she says something he doesn't understand, he runs away. Mustafa returns to explore the park some more the next day, sees the girl and her cat again, but runs away from her. Fall comes and the park turns from greens to oranges and reds, and Mustafa is surprised to see an old woman feeing birds. In his country, he remembers,  there wasn't enough food for birds. Later, he hears someone playing music he knows, but no one notices Mustafa. Even though he's feeling invisible, he hides when he sees the girl and her cat again, but this time she waves for him to follow her. Soon, they are feeding the park's goldfish, swinging on swings and laughing. Finally, the girl points to herself, says her name. Understanding her, Mustafa does the same thing. This is a gentle story about the loneliness of being a refugee in the country and not knowing the language yet and how it only takes one person to make a child feel visible and welcome. The only indication of anything is that Mustafa's mother wears a hijab, but by keeping their home country and their new country unnamed, this becomes a universal story of immigration. Gay also incorporates the traumas that Mustafa and his family experienced in their war-torn country, traumas that still invade his dreams at night. Themes of friendship and empathy are nicely explored. The soft watercolor illustrations reflect Mustafa's park explorations while capturing his feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

There is a great educator guide for teachers courtesy of Groundwood Book and available HERE.

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
Harry N. Abrams, 2013, 32 pages
Even though this isn't an immigrant or refugee story, I thought it was important to include it here. It is a allegory tale about a young rabbit named Pancho who is eagerly awaiting the return of Papá Rabbit. Papá and two friends had gone up north to work in the fields and earn needed money when their own crops failed. But when Papá doesn't arrive home when expected, Pancho decides to go look for him. Packing Papá's favorite meal, Pancho heads out and soon meets Señor Coyote, who offers to take him safely north for the sweet and spicy mole Pancho had packed. They travel together, but when Pancho runs out of food with which to pay the coyote, he decides to roast Pancho. Luckily, Papá Rabbit saves Pancho just in time, having heard his cries. Papá Rabbit and his friends were delayed on their way home because they had been robbed of the money they had earned picking crops. This sounds like a simple story, but it clearly depicts in both words and picture the perilous journey north, the greed, ruthlessness and treachery of the coyotes guides who take advantage on desperate migrants, and thieves who prey on vulnerable migrant workers, robbing them of the wages they worked so hard for. Young readers may see this as a typical fable, but it can be brilliantly unpacked with older readers who are more aware of and have a better understanding of the border problems that face migrants, immigrants, and refugees.

Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees by Mary Beth Leatherdale, illustrated by Eleanor Shakespeare

One of the consequences of war is a high number of people who are forced to leave their homeland because of danger and/or persecution and seek asylum in other countries. Today, we see people seeking asylum from places like the Middle East, Mexico, and Central American countries. Many young readers may think that these stories they have been hearing about in the news and on TV about people fleeing their homeland are a new phenomena.

But, in fact, there have been a number of times that people left their homes to seek safety in the past. In Stormy Seas, readers will learn about five different young boat refugees who were forced to escape their homelands between 1939 and 2006.

The first story involves Ruth, an 18 year old Jewish girl who was lucky enough to get passage on the SS St. Louis in 1939, believing she was leaving behind the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany for safety in Cuba. But after arriving in Havana, Cuba refused to let the desperate passengers disembark, and when others country, including the US, refused to accept any of them, the ship was forced to return to Europe.

In 1979, the mother of 14-year-old Phu knew she had to get her son out of communist controlled Vietnam before he was forced into the army and certain death. Phu's mother paid a smuggler $3,500 for passage in an overcrowded boat, a dangerous trip made worse by pirates who stole everyone' money, jewelry, and food.

For José, 13, and his family, escaping Cuba really was a matter of life and death. His father had already been arrested twenty years earlier for plotting to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist government and now, in 1980, the family knew it would carry a stigma of suspicion forever if they remained in Cuba. Delays and rough seas made the 90 mile trip in an overcrowded boat very dangerous, as people became sick and stressed, and the boat began to take on water.

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan, life became dangerous for anyone who disobeyed their strict Sharia law. But for Najeeba, 11, and her family, the danger was even greater because they were member of the Hazara minority and as such, risked being killed. Najeeba's parents paid a smuggler $35,000 to get them passage to Australia and what they hoped would be safety. The family left Afghanistan in an overcrowded fishing boat that soon sprung a leak.

Lastly is the story of Mohamed, 13, from Maple, Ivory Coast in Africa. Mohamed's parents had been killed in a bombing and rebel forces had taken over his village. His older brother had already fled and Mohamed knew it was time for him to go, too. He walked to a refugee camp in Guinea, worked to save enough money to pay human traffickers for passage to Libya to be able to cross the Mediterranean Sea for asylum in Europe. And so once again, a child boarded an overcrowded boat hoping to find peace and safety at the end of his journey.

Mary Beth Leatherdale presents each one of these stories with compassion and understanding. She follows through, telling readers what became of each of the young people profiled and gives important statistics about their country and the refugees who left, and who were not always welcomed in the countries where they sought asylum. Their stories will certainly resonate with today's readers. There are also sidebars that give more information about each person's homeland and why they had to leave, and back matter that includes a timeline of people who sought asylum by boat, as well as resources for further reading.

Each of the young people survived their harrowing journeys and made new, successful life for themselves and their families. Their resilience, determination, and courage is so inspiring, and, I believe, they will also foster more empathy for today's refugees.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

Escape from Aleppo by N. H. Senzai

It’s October 2013 and explosions from barmeela, bombs packed with shrapnel, are being dropped from helicopters by the Syrian army on Aleppo’s Salaheddine neighborhood where Nadia Jandali, 14, lives with her family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins. It’s time carry out their plan to leave the civil-war torn city and head for the Turkish border. But before they even get out of the parking lot, their apartment building is hit. Nadia, caught on the stairs, is knocked unconscious and buried under debris, so when her cousin Malik looks for her, he doesn’t find her.

Waking up later, Nadia realizes her family has left and decides to go to the dental clinic where they had agreed to head to. But it’s a long way, and the streets are unsafe. After walking for hours and getting lost, Nadia takes shelter in a destroyed pharmacy where she meets Ammo Mazan, a frail old man traveling with a cart and a donkey named Jamila. He offers to take her to the dental clinic, though Nadia isn’t sure if she should trust him. 

Taking detours around the bombed out city, Nadia and Ammo Mazen finally reach the clinic, only to find it deserted. A note left for her there says her father will wait for Nadia at the Oncupinar border crossing between Syria and Turkey, and Ammo Mazen agrees to take Nadia to the border. Looking for shelter that will accommodate the cart and Jamila, the two make their way to an orphanage, where they find two young boys. After resting, they leave and the youngest boy, Basel, 8, goes with them, though Tarek, 15, decides to remain behind, waiting for the mother who gave him up.

As they travel north towards the Turkish border, Ammo Mazen makes various stops which reveal the kind of covert activities he has been up to even as his health continually begins to fail him. Eventually, Tarek rejoins the group. As their journey becomes more and more difficult due to the physical destruction of the country from constant bombing and shelling and the different warring factions found everywhere, Ammo Mazen’s health gets worse and worse, finally leaving him unconscious most of the time, and leaving the children to their own devices. Eventually, he must be left in the care of a healer, while the children, along with Jamila and the cart, make their way to the Oncupinar border crossing. And though Nadia does see her father on the other side, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to Basel, Tarek, and Jamila now.

Escape from Aleppo is a book I wanted to read from the moment I first read about it and it is a fascinating story. Told in the third person from Nadia’s point of view, readers learn about what is happening in Syria from her, as she eavesdrops on the conversations of the adults around her, and begins to pay more attention to current events on television. She must also deal with some serious PTDS issues, afraid to leave her home after an earlier bombing incident that left her with a painful scar on one of her legs.

I paid close attention to what was happening in the Middle East once the Arab Spring began, and I think Senzai does an incredible job of folding in the history of those days, the later Syrian Civil War with the life of a young Syrian girl that time. Using strategically placed flashbacks, Nadia is at first shown to be a typical tween, more interested in watching Arab Idol on TV than she is in school, a girl who fixes her nail polish at the first sign of a chip. Yet, as she recalls her life and family, she begins to develop a new appreciation for them. And as Nadia travels through the now destroyed Aleppo and surrounding areas, she continually calls up memories of places she visited with family in happier times - the Palmyra Boulangerie, dress shops, mosques, the extensive world-famous 1,300 year old souq, the massive Citadel where her family picnicked - now all damaged, completely destroyed, and/or occupied, making Nadia aware that she not only has (hopefully just temporarily) lost her family, but has also lost the cultural and intellectual artifact's of her beloved country’s long history. 

Escape from Aleppo is so much more than a coming of age story. At first, impatient with Ammo Mazen’s slowness and the necessary stops he must make, Nadia develops into a more compassionate, more take charge young lady able to comfort Basel with tales from an ancient copy of Alef Layla (One Thousand and One Nights), and to put Ammo Mazen’s needs over her own desires to get to Turkey, all over the course of just a few days, but a lifetime of experience.  Thus, Escape from Aleppo is a story about empathy, hope, kindness and survival in the midst of war, as well as a harsh reminder of how quickly lives and history can be changed by those in power with an agenda.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an ARC sent to me by the author 

A Different Pond by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui

In an age that is seeing an increase in the number of refugees fleeing their countries seeking safety comes a simple, but powerful semi-autobiographical story from poet Bao Phi. Phi, his parents and siblings were refugees from Vietnam who came to the United States in 1975. And as with most refugees, those early years were difficult. 

Early one morning before the sun has even risen, Phi's father wakes up his son from a sound sleep to go fishing. His father has already made bologna sandwiches and packed up their fishing gear. After loading the car, they stop at the bait store and then on to the pond. Sometimes when they fish, they run into other fishermen - usually a Hmong man, a black man. This morning, they are alone.

But these fishing trips is not done as a fun sport. Even though his father has taken a second job in order to support his family, any fish caught will help feed them. As his dad explains, “Everything in American costs a lot of money.”

But fishing is also an opportunity for father and son to bond. Phi’s father is gentle, protective, and encouraging with his son. When Phi doesn’t want to bait the fishing hook with live minnows, his dad just smiles, and there is a compliment when Phi builds a fire, lighting it with one match.

As they eat their sandwiches, his dad tells Phi about fishing with his brother in a different pond in Vietnam, about fighting in the Vietnam war with his brother who didn’t return from the war. After catching two large fish, they head home, knowing there will be dinner on the table that night. 

This may be Bao Phi’s first children’s book, but he has written one that is destined to become a classic. Phi is a poet, and his prose lyrical, really capturing the difficulties faced by immigrants when they migrate to another country, and have very little money and resources. A close reading reveals just some of the things refugees must do to survive beside working more than one job, or fishing for dinner. Notice the No Trespassing sign by the fishing pond, the mention of the callouses on Phi’s father's hands indicating hard, physical labor, the mention of his dad’s broken teeth and his poor English and what these things tell us about his life. Their life may be hard, and yet, the last page shows a happy family sitting about the dinner table. 

Complimenting Phi's story are Thi Bui’s illustrations. She has used both graphic novel panels and full page illustrations done in deep blues and browns and beiges to capture the early morning light and highlight father and son. 

Sometimes, these days, I feel like my spirit needs a little renewing and then I read this book. It certainly gave me a new appreciation of what my own father went through when he came to this country. 

A Different Pond is a beautiful, elegantly written story about the importance of family, of hope, of tradition, and the challenges faced by refugees.  

A Different Pond will be available August 1, 2017.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Capstone 

Where Will I Live? by Rosemary McCarney

Just as she did with her earlier books, Dear Malala, We Stand with You and The Way to School, Rosemary McCarney, the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, has authored another photo-essay, this time bringing to light the terrible refugee situation in the world today in a very age appropriate way.

Answering the question "where do you go if your home is no longer safe?" McCarney begins her book with a photo of a family fleeing their home in the middle of the night with the caption "Sometimes scary thing happen to good people." Using this as her starting point, and with minimal text on each page, she takes the reader on a journey through countries that are involved in wars, conflicts, terrorism or are dealing with natural disasters, and the families who have become displaced by these events. Some ride, some walk, some run from the danger and terror they suddenly find themselves in, carrying whatever they can, but leaving most of not just their belongings but their homes behind.

In the midst of these fleeing families are the children on whose faces one can clearly see their common question "But where will I live?" From Rwanda to Hungary, from Greece to Lebanon and Kenya, the children live in tent cities, wondering and hoping to find someplace where they and their family will be welcomed and to be able to feel safe again.

To someone with a safe home and intact family, it is hard to imagine life as a refugee, yet the stunning photographs in this book really brings home to young readers just how difficult, scary, and perilous seeking safety can be. And yet, these are resilient children who can still manage to make some fun for themselves, still make friends, and amazingly, still play and smile.

The stunningly revealing photographs shown on each page were taken by a variety of artists (each listed on the back page) and provided to McCarney by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (or UNHCR), and, it should be noted, that proceeds from the purchase of this book will be donated to refugee children's programs around the world.

Where Will I Live? is an excellent book for introducing children to the problems faced by refugees in the world today, and it should certainly generate some lively discussions, not to mention inspiring them to find ways in which they can help. Pair this poignant non-fiction photo-essay with any of the equally excellent fictional accounts of refugees for a richly comprehensive unit on refugees today. You can find some excellent suggestions from Today's Parent HERE

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was sent to me by the publisher

Two Allegories of Home

The Treasure Box by Margaret Wild, illustreated by Freya Blackwood
Candlewick Press, 2013/2017,  32 pages, age 5+

When war comes to the town where Peter and his father live, everything is bombed and destroyed, including the library. As the burnt pages of library book flutter through the air, one book survives - a library book Peter’s father loved and had been reading at home. Placing it in a iron treasure box for safe keeping, Peter and his father set off with other refugees to find a place of safety. 

On the road, Peter’s father become ill and passes away. The treasure box is too heavy for Peter to carry over the mountains and beyond to safety, so he buries it under a linden tree for safekeeping until such time that there is peace again in his country and he can return to bring the put the book back on the shelf at the newly rebuilt library in town.

It seems so fitting that Peter would bury the box at the foot of a tree, since the paper made from  trees are a books very beginnings, and leaving the book about who the people of his country (never names) are, promises a hopeful future and a connection to the past interrupted by a war that tried to destroy it. In that sense, Peter’s father was right to tell him that the book was a real treasure, “rarer than rubies, more splendid than silver, greater than gold.”

Freya Blackwood’s delicate pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations compliment the text, while the collage give the pages a three dimensional feeling. Blackwood also has used pages from The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett and Once by Morris Gleitzman to illustrate the burnt, fluttering pages from the burning library.

The Treasure Box is an allegorical tale about resilience, resistance, and the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from, even as enemies try to destroy that. 

Teacup by Rebecca Young, illustrated by Matt Ottley
Dial BFYR, 2016, 40 pages, age 5+

A young boy is forced to leave his homeland, sailing away in a rowboat with a book, a bottle and a blanket as well as a teacup full of some earth where he used to play. The boy’s journey is long, sometimes dangerous when the sea is wild, other times tranquil, when the sea is also calm, and always holding tight to his teacup of earth from home. He continually looks for land in the distance, a place to call home, again, but sees nothing in the distance, but is comforted by the song of whales and the flight of an albatross. 

Eventually, a tree begins to spout from his teacup, growing into a tree that provides shelter, shade, and apples to eat. When land is finally spotted, the boy plants his tree there and begins to built. And then, one day, a girl shows up with an eggcup full of earth from her home.

Matt Ottley’s pale, almost opaque illustrations have a dreamlike quality to them. They are done in a palette of blues, ranging from almost a whitish blue to a darker, more menacing blue when the sea gets rough and sky becomes overcast. It is only as the boy approaches land that greens and yellows are added to the blues.

This allegorical story can be read in different ways, as a journey from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, which seems a little young for a picture book. It can also be read as the journey one takes into the unknown whenever they are faced with new beginnings.  I read it as the plight of refugees forced to leave their beloved homeland, and seek a new home where they can put down roots. Whichever you read it, Teacup is an allegorical story about the difficulty and the loneliness felt on a long journey, and one's eventual assimilation into their new circumstances without forgetting where they came from. 

When my father left his homeland to come to the United States, he brought some of his country's recipes, which we all grew up eating and loving.