Picture Books for World Refugee Day

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gill Smith. This affecting and emotional picture book about displacement, tragedy, grief, and hope begins with a dramatic rescue, as two young children arrive by boat to a foreign shore: "There were two of them left in the boat... Brother and sister, lost in the dark sea. They could have died. The bigger one thought they wouldn't survive." The children are housed in what appears to be a refugee camp and their physical needs met; soon, the younger brother makes friends playing outside, and he "hardly ever thought about the time before." The older sister, though, stays inside and apart from others, consumed by her memories and trauma (unspecified) and the responsibility of bearing witness to the past. "She felt she shouldn't forget." Attempting to bring some cheer into their "broken home," the boy catches a butterfly and presents it to his sister. She tries to release it, but it won't depart; eventually, in order to guide the creature, she steps out onto the porch. As the butterfly flies off, the girl, now experiencing the beauty in the light and warmth that surround her, tentatively rejoins the world. Gorgeously evocative and textured mixed-media illustrations are predominantly gray at the beginning and incorporate more and more bright colors as the children respond positively to their environment. Although the shadows are not gone, the girl's self-isolation and profound loneliness have begun to dissipate, following those first steps she's taken toward healing.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. After the war comes, the young orphan narrator journeys with other refugees until she reaches a town where she attempts to go to school; a teacher turns her away, telling her, "There is no chair for you to sit on." Based on a real event, this timely eye-opener, supported by mood-attuned pencil and watercolor art, concludes with a lionhearted boy's act of kindness.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Borràs. Although Marwan's Middle Eastern birth country is only hinted at in the beautifully expressive watercolor and ink paintings, the boy is unfortunately among the adult and child refugees fleeing war-torn countries worldwide. His mother, "with her flour-soft hands," is not beside him on the hard journey. The poetic first-person text, translated from the Spanish, addresses violence but still allows hope of Marwan one day returning to his homeland.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 While their Syrian village burns, Sami's family walks until they reach a refugee camp: "We are safe." But Sami is heartbroken over the loss of his beloved pet pigeons until a quartet of birds arrives. Del Rizzo uses polymer clay and acrylic paint to create vibrant pictures. Beauty and sorrow sit side by side in this compassionate and age-appropriate depiction of contemporary refugee life.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) K-3 Del Rizzo (My Beautiful Birds, rev. 3/17) continues the story of Syrian refugee Sami, this time through the eyes of his new neighbor, Moe (short for ­Maureen). As Moe walks down her street calling out greetings in ­Italian, Spanish, and English, she notices a new family moving in. "We know it can be hard to move someplace new." She drops off welcome gifts--­mittens, a bird feather, and a mug for hot chocolate--and shyly introduces herself to Sami at the park. Del Rizzo's illustrations are made with polymer clay and paint, achieving a realistic variety of skin tones and a vibrant, three-­dimensional quality. She uses the clay to create lots of textures, such as the knitting on hats and mittens, as well as natural elements like snowflakes and trees, and she provides varied perspectives. The story is loving and gently paced, with the two children coming together to rescue a cardinal we have already seen in several pictures, each sacrificing a treasure to do it. An author's note includes instructions for making suet bird feeders and pouches woven from twigs for winter bird shelters.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. Joseph misses the camaraderie of shared meals at the refugee camp where he and his mother stayed until they were able to emigrate from East Africa (the glossary explains that he is Acholi). Now they live in a new city where "there are not enough people to eat with." Joseph invites his teacher, family members, and neighbors to come over for a meal, but only his neighbor Whoosh and her mother are able to come. Together, they enjoy a meal of traditional foods and settle into "a rhythm, a beat of people eating together, even if today it's only two more." The vibrant illustrations, full of color and movement (Whoosh is aptly named), nicely complement the poetic text.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Illustrated by Ana Penyas. In the spring of 1937, the ship Mexique sailed from France to Mexico with 456 Spanish refugees, all children whose parents were fighting on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War. The expected three-to-four months away became years and, for some, a lifetime, as Franco's retribution against former Republicans and then the onset of World War II made it impossible for the children to return home. Ferrada focuses on the journey itself, told from the limited perspective of one (likely fictional) young child. "I can't really remember where we are going, but it is far." The narrator clings to the older children--"Clara, Sonia, Eulalia, Maria, our sisters, collect our tears in their handkerchiefs"--finding strength from companionship through a difficult transition from the familiar but terrifying wartime Spain to the unknown but welcoming Morelia, Mexico. "We play at imagining where we are going. Morelia is a color...Morelia is a fruit." Penyas's illustrations are primarily black and white, with accents of red. The palette effectively establishes setting and grabs readers' attention. Per an appended note: "The images in this book are based on photographs of the 'Children of Morelia' and the ship that brought them to Mexico," adding a further layer of realism and poignancy. In one spread, small panes each show a different view of the open ocean, fragments of the narrator's interminable journey. Although the specifics of the story are clearly historical, there is a universality to them that connects these pages to the tale of every child sent away from home for safety during times of war.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) K-3 Refugee Mustafa, who has traveled "a very, very long way" to live in a new country, shows signs of trauma: dreams of "smoke and fire and loud noises" wake him; he hides when he meets someone new. Finally, Mustafa meets a kindred spirit when a girl invites him to feed fish in a koi pond. The touching book ends with a satisfying feeling, reinforced by exuberant mixed-media illustrations.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ronald Himler. This somber story describes life for a young Afghani refugee, who weaves brightly colored flowered rugs that help him temporarily escape the ugliness of the refugee camp. Himler's restrained watercolor paintings show the pain on the characters' faces but also leave room for hope, as does the text, which recounts grim circumstances without rendering them utterly defeating.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sue Cornelison. This unusual, true refugee story--centering on Kunkush, a cat who becomes separated from his human family after they flee Mosul together--will be of particular interest to children. Smudgy art in vibrant, saturated colors emphasizes the tenderhearted rather than the terrifying elements of Kunkush's ordeal and the joy when he's finally reunited with the family in Norway. Notes, photos, and a map are appended.

Reviewer: Debora Pearson

(3) PS Illustrated by Barroux. "When a place gets so scary that we have to leave home, every kindness counts." From "One boat / helping us on our way" to "Ten friends / making us happy," a simple text takes young children on a refugee's journey. Barroux's painterly watercolors are reassuring and upbeat; Kurman's text lightly touches on troubling issues with honesty and respect for her audience. The illustrations show a Black family--mother, baby, and two young siblings--as they travel toward safety, security, and a new beginning. Some age-appropriate context "about child refugees" and list of related websites are appended. Concurrently published in Spanish.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) PS A young immigrant girl and her mother adjust to life in a new city in this hopeful picture book about resilience. The story follows the little girl over the course of a year as she grows more confident, makes friends, and ultimately thrives. She compares herself to a dandelion: "Like feathery seeds," she and her mother "take flight," leaving their homeland by plane. We aren't told why, but art on the dedication page shows the two boarding a military-looking bus. Lee's digitally rendered illustrations look like collage and have a tactile quality. Initially dark and oppressive when the family arrives in the city, the art lightens as the girl begins to acclimate to her surroundings: "We put down roots / in unfamiliar soil." As winter turns to spring, she blossoms; by book's end, she's strong enough to help welcome other newcomers. "Like a dandelion, I am strong and giving, planted happily in soil that I now call home." A photo of Lee and her siblings taken in a Cambodian refugee camp in the 1970s accompanies an author's note with some dandelion lore, and Lee dedicates the book in part to "my parents and siblings, with whom I shared this journey."

Reviewer: Michelle Lee

(3) K-3 Haunting photos of refugee children and adults in different countries (identified in tiny print) and situations pair with spare text that reflects these children's concerns; in the last image, a child in Niger looks straight at the young reader and says, "I hope someone smiles and says 'Welcome home.' I hope that someone is you." A powerful introduction to the world's refugee crisis.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus. Lubna befriends a pebble when she and her father arrive at a refugee settlement, telling it about her family, the war, and her prior home. When Daddy finds them a new home, Lubna gives Pebble to newcomer Amir. Meddour's short, simple sentences pack a punch; the cool-palette illustrations, with their frequent use of curved lines, offer a sense of security. This tender story honors the emotional resilience of young people.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephen Michael King. "I am the drifting boat / you are the quiet deep / buoy me." A lilting prayer to hope accompanies delicate watercolor and ink illustrations picturing a family (aboard a small wooden sailboat) escaping a barbed-wire landscape. Double-page spreads feature delicate panel vignettes conveying the lengthy journey to safer shores. Mid-journey, a stranded polar bear catches a ride, providing a lighthearted interlude.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 CitizenKid series. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Young Deo flees his village in Burundi and ends up at a refugee camp, malnourished, without his family, and up against bullies and gangs. Through the power of play and banana-leaf soccer balls, Deo finds friendship and a sense of community. Striking mixed-media illustrations enhance this powerful story (inspired by real events) of survival and resurgence. An author's note is included. Websites.

Reviewer: Alia Jones

(2) K-3 Translated by Kari Dickson. Illustrated by Akin Duzakin. A frail-looking child huddles with her mother in a bombed-out building. While the mother sleeps, a giant bird appears and prompts memories from before the devastation. In the child's unsentimental voice, some of the simplest details are the most heart-rending. Duzakin mitigates the sadness with compositions in which the child is enclosed by a circle of protection (mother's arms; bird's wing) or accompanied by a cheerful-looking cat. An honest, moving book for these times of dislocation and uncertainty.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) K-3 Children in Our World series. Illustrated by Hanane Kai. Using relatable language and explanations, this volume sensitively explores the plight of refugees and migrants. The coverage includes why and how people leave their home country, refugee camps, asylum seekers, and the complicated process of determining where a refugee will ultimately live; suggestions for how to help are also provided. Kai's muted, reassuring illustrations enhance the lucid prose. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nizar Ali Badr. Syrian artist Badr used ordinary beach stones to compose the three-dimensional collage art depicting the harrowing journeys that many present-day Syrians undertake. Ruurs's free-verse text, in English and Arabic, chronicles one specific journey of fictional girl Rama, whose family must flee its war-torn village. A memorable look at what it means to leave one's home in search of "a bright new future." Websites.

Reviewer: Debora Pearson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(1) K-3 In a piercing first-person account, a child tells of a harrowing journey with a sibling and their mother. Sanna's stylized illustrations are both captivating and unsettling; specifics of the setting are never established (details suggest an Islamic-world origin and a Nordic destination), and that intentional lack of specificity adds disquiet. Still, the story is not without hope. An author's note invites real-world connections.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) K-3 This sensitive follow-up to The Journey describes the young daughter's apprehension as she adjusts to life in a new country and school. Her fear is astutely abstracted as a puffy, white, somewhat amorphous character, whose size fluctuates according to circumstances. The final pages depict a classroom full of children and their fears--who appear small, soft, and smiling, suggesting their presence is something to be understood and embraced, not overcome.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(1) K-3 At the end of 1938, when the Germans invaded the border region of Czechoslovakia, a young Englishman named Nicky arranged for the transport of 669 children from there to England, where they were settled with families to live out the war. In this remarkable book, Sís weaves Nicky's story with that of Vera, a Czech child who was one of those Nicky saved. The story does not end with the transport but includes the post-war years as Vera returns to Czechoslovakia in search of her parents and cousins (none survived) and returns to England for good; and as Nicky's quiet, productive life unfolds. Sís tells this multi-stranded tale in prose that is as understated as Nicholas Winton (as Nicky is eventually identified in the back matter) was himself and in illustrations that capture the complexity and heartbreaking emotion of the tale. For example, Vera kept a diary during the war, and Sís illustrates the years during which Vera lived with her foster family against a grid of diary pages; small squares include drawings such as a child with a violin, fish and chips, and a radio, all representing her years growing up in England. On subsequent pages, text overlays more journal pages, these covered with minuscule handwriting as time passes and Vera searches for family. In a final spread, when an elderly Nicholas Winton is publicly recognized for his quiet heroism and introduced to the adults he saved as children, each adult faces a seated Winton, and, inside each outline, Sís has drawn the child they were when they left Czechoslovakia. This is an exceptional story told with a powerful combination of words and pictures to engage both those who know some history of the Holocaust and those new to the topic. An appended note tells more about Nicholas Winton and Vera Diamantova.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Victo Ngai. A little girl living in an unsafe place watches her grandfather out the window. "The night wished it was quieter," reads the text. With a page-turn: "The bag wished it was deeper," as other family members swiftly pack food. Wishes made by the light, the clock, the path, the boat, the sea, and the sun follow, and it gradually becomes clear that the girl's family is fleeing their home to undertake a perilous journey to a new place. The collaboration between text and illustration is impressive; Văn's lyrical and poetic writing gently propels the story forward, while Ngai's honest and detailed pictures depict the heartbreaking reality of separation and extend the tale beyond its words. The final wish, which is also the only wish made in the voice of the girl ("And I wished...I didn't have to wish...anymore"), is slowly revealed through four double-page spreads that display the final moments of the family's harrowing journey. The changing color palette throughout, including on the front and back endpapers, serves as a powerful, aesthetic representation of the changes that occur over the course of the story--from dark night to brightening sky, from danger to safety, from fear to hope, and most important of all, from the end of one journey to the beginning of another. Back matter includes author and artist notes and reveals the personal connection that Văn has with the story.

Reviewer: Weileen Wang | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) K-3 Two figures, one fully human, the other a more fanciful humanoid figure with horns (or is it a crescent moon bisecting its head?), fold a paper boat and launch it from their ship. The boat travels from the middle of the Pacific Ocean down along the coasts of North and South America, north past Africa until it makes land in Europe (so indicated on the endpapers). Although elements of the journey seem familiar, and the world map sets the story in the known world, this is an entirely wondrous--and wordless--trip. The paper boat passes sea turtles that spout like whales, fish with human hands, and harlequin seahorses. Like Escher's paintings, Van Allsburg's images in Ben's Dream, or Shaun Tan's otherworlds, Van den Ende's intricate pen-and-ink creations are both familiar and fantastical. The surreal, precise illustrations are full of unexpected humor (such as a whale balancing a pipe in its blowhole) as well as tension. First published in the Netherlands, Van den Ende's sophisticated picture book leaves viewers with a sense of the literal and figurative ebb and flow of life. The little paper boat meets adversity in the form of dangerous waves and ominous creatures, but gets help from equally unexpected sources. It is fragile--readers know, logically, that a paper boat cannot survive life in the ocean--but indeed it does.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(2) K-3 A group of despondent anthropomorphic animals, carrying little in the way of possessions, treks across land and sea in this wordless story from Peruvian author-illustrator Watanabe. Following the party is a skeletal creature, assumed to be Death, accompanied by a tall blue ibis and wearing a long black cloak adorned with flowers. The group stops briefly to eat and rest, eventually arriving at the ocean. In attempting to cross the water on rough waves, the animals lose their boat. When on land again, they say goodbye to a member of their party who doesn't survive; this change in pace--the pause in weary walking to mourn the loss--is filled with tenderness, the bereaved creatures gathered dejectedly around their beloved friend. Afterward, Death stops to comfort the deceased creature while the party reluctantly moves on. The severe, distinctive palette includes a pitch-black background on each spread and (on most) a thin, green strip of grass, as if a stage the animals walk across. Their clothing provides vivid pops of color, along with rose-colored blooms on the trees they pass, which, at book's close, represent a sign of hope. This powerful portrait—stark, eloquent, and utterly devoid of sentimentality--depicts the arduous, dangerous journeys of migrants all across the globe. It's a small book that tells a big story of loss and courage.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Two renowned picture-book creators trace the journey of a wooden rocking chair in this affecting immigration story based in part on Wells's family lore. Wells begins with Sam, her great-great-grandfather. Born in Bavaria, Sam has a gift for carpentry. Discouraged in this pursuit by his rabbi father, he leaves home for New York City, finding work as a bookkeeper for a German family. When that family's son is born, Sam builds a wooden rocking chair with the word willkommen inscribed on the back. To honor the birth of his own son born a few years later, Sam adds the phrase for welcome in Hebrew, later also adding it in English. Next, the chair is a wedding gift for an Irish seamstress, so the word fáílte, Irish for welcome, is added in brass letters. Then, it providentially lands in the possession of others (two Dominican nuns, a Haitian doctor, and a young Somali girl) who have fled their homelands and found America to be a safe refuge. Each new owner has the word for welcome added in their language, connecting the families' experiences and creating a powerful narrative thread. The late Pinkney's jewel-hued watercolor, pencil, and pastel illustrations capture this atmosphere of acceptance and warmth, bringing readers even closer into the story. The immigrants' feelings are evident through their body language as they gather with loved ones around the chair, itself beautifully replicated in the art. An author's note further explains Wells's inspiration and provides more historical context; an illustrator's note describes Pinkney's artistic process and influences.

Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. "When the enemy bombed the library, everything burned," begins this shattering but ultimately affirming story. Fleeing, Peter and his father take the only library book that wasn't incinerated. After his father dies, Peter buries the book under a tree; as a grown man, Peter returns to dig it up. The collage art features torn book pages in various languages, suggesting the common humanity of victims of wartime displacement.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Lina and Feroza are Afghani girls in a Pakistani refugee camp. When used clothing is distributed, each girl grabs one of a pair of pretty sandals. They decide to alternate wearing the sandals, then become friends. Chayka's tan backgrounds convey daily life in the crowded Peshawar camp, while his use of color in the characters' clothing represents their bright hopes.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rachel Wada. "Father, is all of the world a refugee camp?" In sensitive and empowering words, Yang speaks about historical truths and shares her own childhood story with readers. Born to Hmong refugees in Thailand, little Kalia has never seen the world beyond the gate of the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. To answer her question, Kalia's father climbs with her to the top of the tallest tree--from where she can see the view beyond the camp's gate and "the place where the sky meets the earth." Kalia now knows that the world is bigger than anything one can imagine, and that no gates or fences should hold her back from experiencing it. Wada's mixed-media and digital illustrations employ a muted palette of yellows, browns, and military greens that perfectly complements the narrative. Details are clearly depicted to reflect camp life from little Kalia's point of view--watching a "bald rooster," riding a large dog, "crouch[ing] low" to look for fruit. The author's note, which includes a real-life photo of ­four-year-old Yang and her father high in the tree, shares a good amount of autobiographical detail plus some historical background. A list of Hmong words and a map of Thailand are also appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg. Evie's newest neighbors have just arrived from another country, "in such a rush." At her parents' encouragement, Evie introduces herself to young Bimi while her family helps his family move in. Their neighbor, Mrs. Monroe, casts judgmental looks out her window--Mrs. Monroe immigrated, too, Evie's parents reveal, so why can't she be more sympathetic? Stylized, collage-like illustrations pair images of Evie and Bimi in everyday scenes--like dining with their families, waving from bedroom windows, and sharing treasured toys. When Evie's family brings over spare furniture, a diverse chain of welcoming neighbors follows suit; the resulting impromptu dinner party is enough to crack Mrs. Monroe's shell. This warm slice-of-life story is a gentle lesson in empathy.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald