Refugees in Children's Picture Books

Book reviews on the importance of refugees in children's picture books and how these books can be used to educate young readers. - Yessi J.

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Book Summaries List

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3OMUjFV4azwMnd2VV9ETUxfMFRRZGZjSDlmQnFTOTVnSHYw

By Yessi Juarez

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Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon

Oskar is a refugee from Nazi Europe. On the seventh day of Hanukkah, which is also Christmas Eve in 1938 his parent’s give him a photo of his aunt living in New York with her address on the back. They give him a photo and board him on a ship to set sail to America, “-and his father’s last words to him: “Oskar, even in bad times, people can be good. You have to look for the blessings” (Richard and Tanya Simon 3). Leaving his family and home behind, Oskar must travel through this big city in search of his aunt that he has never met and before sunset, just before she lights the shamash. Along the way, Oskar meets new people that all display small acts of kindness, in which then Oskar remembers his father’s last words.

This book was published in 2015 by Roaring Brook Press and was written by the husband-and-wife writing team Richard and Tanya Simon who had written the story about Richard’s grandfather. His grandfather had traveled to New York and had started his new life there right before the Holocaust. Richard writes about his thoughts of how life would’ve been if they had gone back to Europe and of how he would have evaded the Nazis, which is where the inspiration of this story came to be. Richard states in the Author’s Note, “that’s why Oskar escapes the nightmare of Nazi Germany and finds himself a part of history, not just because of what he lived through, but also because of what he can now hope to become” (36). This is another great example of a child refugee and what he had to endure on his journey to freedom that can be used to educate children. Here is a link for a little more information about this book.

https://us.macmillan.com/oskarandtheeightblessings/tanyasimon/9781596439498/

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Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs

This story is about a little girl named Rama and her family. It’s about her memories of their home in a small village in Syria. Rama remembers playing with her little brother Sami and her parents coming in from working the fields and her grandfather fishing, she remembers her life before the war then everything changed. The people in the village began to leave, and then it was Rama’s family’s turn. They packed their belongings, carried them on their backs and made their way to the sea. Once they reached the ocean, many people climbed into little boats and headed for Europe, along the way many people were lost to the sea. “When we arrived on land once again, Mama and Papa planted seeds to grow flowers to remember those who did not reach freedom” (Ruurs 18). The family walked for many miles until they arrived at their new home. They didn’t understand the language but they understood the smiles they received, here Rama and her family were able to start their new lives free from war.

This book was published in 2016 by Orca Book Publishers and due to Ruurs negotiations, the publishers donate half of their proceeds to helping Syrian Refugees. Ruurs was inspired to write this book after seeing Nizar Ali Badr’s artwork. Badr is an artist from Latakia, Syria and has been creating sculptures from the stones he finds along the beach. He had been posting images on Facebook when Ruurs found an image and contacted him in order to create this book. After getting a contract with Orca Books Publishing they were able to create this book and display the realities for many Syrians who fled their homes due to war and sought out refuge across the sea. Since creating this book Ruurs was able to bring to light this up and coming artist from Latakia and was able to raise funds to help refugees. She also provides a list of organizations in which help refugees so that others can contribute as well. This link will direct you to the homepage with information about the book and with opportunities for donating as well.  

https://steppingstonesthebook.com/

American Refugee Committee (www.arcrelief.org)

United Nations Refugee Agency (www.unhcr.ca)

International Rescue Committee (www.rescue.org)

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey is another great book that can be used in the classroom to help educate children on the issues immigrants and refugees face when leaving their homes and moving to a new place. The illustrations of this book portray the struggles that many families face and even through stones are able to express such emotions. This book is also a dual language book, mine is in English and Arabic but through the publisher can be ordered in other languages such as Portuguese, Vietnamese and Dutch.

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My Freedom Trip by Frances Park and Ginger Park

This book is based on the life of the authors’ mother and of her dangerous journey from North to South Korea. The mother Soo, remembers when soldiers invaded the country and divided it between the North and the South. She remembers living in a quiet peaceful village and going to school with her friends and enjoying family time at home with her parents. One Night her father tells her, “Tonight I must go on a trip. A man named Mr. Han will guide me to South Korea. He knows of a secret passage where I will cross the border at the shallow end of the river” (Frances and Ginger Park 4). He tells her that he will go first then it will be her turn, then her mother. Soon after her father’s departure Mr. Han arrives and tells Soo it is her turn to take her trip. Sadly, she leaves her mother behind and goes with Mr. Han. As they travel they are faced with dangers but continue because Soo knows her father is waiting for her just across the river. Soon after she reunites with her father the Korean War breaks out and the river becomes heavily guarded by soldiers and no one is able to leave, forever separating Soo from her mother.

This book was printed in 1998 by Boyds Mills Press, Inc. and was written by Soo’s daughters Frances and Ginger Park. The Park sisters share their mother’s memories of Korea before the war, and of the grandmother, they never got to meet. They share their family’s history in order to bring awareness no not only Korea but the suffering they had to face due to war and having to flee their homeland in order to find freedom. In 1999 this book also won the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award and since then the sisters have written many more children’s books and books about Korea before and after the war. Here is a link to their website. I also added a link to the website Liberty in North Korea Refugee Rescues which is a group of people who dedicate their lives helping people flee from North Korea.

http://www.parksisters.com/childrens-books/my-freedom-trip/

https://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/rescue-refugees/

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How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

In this story, a young boy and his parents flee their home due to war. They watch as buildings crumble before them and leave quickly with only the clothes on their backs. They travel far to another country and are able to stay with a couple they meet. “Father went to the bazaar to buy bread” (Shulevitz 7). When he returned he had only a map in his hand. Disappointed and hungry the family goes to bed that night with no supper. The next day the father hangs the large map on the wall and the boy becomes fascinated with it. Through the map, he is able to leave behind his hunger and despair and travel through his imagination where he is exploring the world and has plenty of food and fresh water to drink.

This story written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz is a 2009 Caldecott Honor Book and is based on his memories of World War II. Shulevitz was four when his family fled from Poland and reminisces of when they had to travel to the Soviet Union to what is now called Kazakhstan, where this story takes place. Shulevitz shares with his readers of what life was like when he was a child, not having a home, doesn’t have any belongings, or anything to eat. He shares his pain and suffering through his words and pictures and after being angry with his father for buying a map when they are starving, he later forgives his father and is happy he was able to escape his reality through the map. Shulevitz’s book shares real experiences and allows us to see how life was during that era for thousands of families and helps us understand what they had to go through. A story like this will help us teach not only sympathy and kindness but can also be used to educate children to appreciate what they have.

Here are links from the SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION, which presents Storyline Online. One link is for a video in which Ed O’Neill reads How I Learned Geography. The other link is also presented by Storyline Online and is an activity guide for the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OPrLwTOq7I

http://www.storylineonline.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/HowILearnedGeography_ActivityGuide.pdf

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My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed

Sangoel is an eight-year-old boy from the largest country in Africa, Sudan. He is from the Dinka tribe and his mother, little sister and he are fleeing the country after their father had been killed in the Sudan war. They said goodbye to all their friends at the refugee camp and made their journey to America. Mrs. Johnson helped them once they arrived and Sangoel translated with the very little English he had learned at the camp. Sangoel started school and no one could say his name, after his first day at school he arrived home feeling sad and homesick. The next day Sangoel had an idea that would help his new classmates learn his name and after that, he was happy and proud of his name, even in America. “Don’t worry,” the Wise One said as Sangoel prepared to leave the refugee camp. “You carry a Dinka name. It is the name of your father and of your ancestors before him” (Williams & Mohammed 2).

This book was published in 2009 by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Eerdmans Publishing Co. Both authors and illustrator Catherine Stock all have personal experiences with refugees and immigrating families. Williams herself lived in Africa for several years and both Williams and Mohammed volunteered helping refugees. Along with all her work volunteering and writing several books, Williams is also a teacher and has taught many children in America and Africa. It is very easy for children coming to America to want to forget their heritage but when there are people that are willing to help there is hope. My Name is Sangoel is one of those stories that children can relate to about their sense of belonging and identity. Just like Sangoel I myself had to grow up with no one knowing how to pronounce my name. I was born here but my name was also passed down from family members from my father’s country, and going to school here and learning English was difficult but over time I learned to appreciate where I come from and my culture. This book can be a great way to show thousands of children that they can appreciate their names and where they originated from, and even though it may be difficult for some people to say they can still be proud. Here are some links that I found enlightening along with a teacher guide Williams created for this book.

http://www.karenlynnwilliams.com/

http://www.karenlynnwilliams.com/files/sangoel_guide.pdf

https://www.eerdmans.com/youngreaders/

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Two White Rabbits by Jairo Buitrago

Two White Rabbits originally written in Spanish, Dos Conejos Blancos and translated by Elisa Amado is about a father and his daughter traveling north to the US. With their backpacks and a small blue stuffed rabbit, the pair travels by different means. They walk a majority of the way, when they reach the river they cross by a makeshift raft, then they board a train called “The Beast” and ride on the roof of the railcars, lastly by truck. The whole journey the little girl counts objects in order to help her pass the time, she counts animals and clouds. “Where are we going?” I ask sometimes, but no one answers” (Buitrago 25). When the father is in need of money they stop traveling and stay in a certain place for a while until he saves up enough money to continue on their journey. Once he has enough they continue on their way to the US border. As they leave the family that helped the father find work, the little boy gives them a box with two white rabbits and they say their goodbyes.

This story is based on the thousands of families and children that make the dangerous journey from their hometowns to the US in search of a safety. Many of these families are from Mexico and countries in Central America such as Guatemala and El Salvador. There are many reasons people leave their homes, such as not being able to provide for their families or war. Like in this story we don’t know why these two are fleeing or where they are fleeing from but many of the families that come from these countries and try seeking refuge in the US travel similar paths and so it is up to the reader to decide the answer to these questions. One main factor many families face is the need for a coyote, which is a person who is paid to help you get across the border illegally. Although you are paying these people many times they betray the families to fulfill their own selfish needs. So in order to help these families and especially the children that are left alone the publisher Groundwood Books has donated to the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) in support of their project REFORMA’s Children in Crisis in order to provide books and writing materials to the refugee children crossing the Southern border. Here are the links to both sites:

http://www.usbby.org/donate.html

http://refugeechildren.wixsite.com/refugee-children

Two White Rabbits is a book that is very relatable especially to the families here in California. As a teacher, I believe it is very important to share this book and others like this from not only all over the world but especially Mexico and Central and South America to our students here. Not only do these books share in the Hispanic and Latino cultures but the children can relate too but also in experiences as well, for many of the children we teach have their own migrating experiences. I myself can relate to these books as well having parents that came from the south. My father came from El Salvador, his family fled during the war and my mother came from Mexico when she was 15 due to her family not being able to survive there, searching for a better future. My parents struggled to make a home here for themselves and for their children and because of them, I have the opportunity to have a better life. I am proud of where I come from and my culture and I believe it is important to pass those beliefs on to our children and students. No matter how they got here or where they are from as teachers it is our duty to educate them, but also to express to them that they are accepted, their families and their cultures as well.

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Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes

This book is about a single mother of five children and a pet cat named Kunkush. In 2015 the city of Mosul in Iraq had become very dangerous due to war, and after losing their father the mother Sura decided they needed to flee their home. Sura had paid a smuggler to help get her family out of the city, they packed some food and water and hid Kunkush in a small carrier and they left in the night. The family began their journey. They traveled for days on foot through forests and mountains and slept in the woods all while keeping Kunkush a secret. After crossing the sea into Greece, through all the chaos of landing at the beach Kunkush, frightened ran out of his carrier and into the forest. Heartbroken the family had to continue without their beloved cat and days later volunteers found him. They took him in and tried to help reunite this cat with his family. They turned to social media which helped them find his family and after months, the family was finally reunited with their cherished pet.

According to the Lost and Found Cat homepage, this book is recommended for young readers between the ages of 4-8 and was published by Crown Books in January 2017. This true story was written by authors Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes, both had a direct impact on this family and both helped reunite Kunkush with his family. Shrodes found Kunkush and fostered him and had friends help create a Facebook page for the cat and Kuntz physically flew Kunkush from Germany to Norway. With the help of these two people and many others that directly helped or donated Kunkush was able to see his family again after traveling hundreds of miles in order to find a safe place to live. This link is for the Lost and Found Cat webpage.

https://www.lostandfoundcat.com/

Throughout all their hardships this family never gave up hope. “After four months and thousands of miles, Kunkush and his family were finally together in their new home. “We are all safe now,” said Sura” (Kuntz and Shrodes 36). This is a beautiful story about love and family and has many things to offer readers, like Kuntz mentioned in his author’s note, “We all have something valuable to share and the ability to reach out and help. This story is about making that choice. It is only because of all the people who got involved that Kunkush found his family. His story helps us remember that we all need each other” (37). This is a great message to pass on to children, to help them realize that we all need help at times and the right thing to do is offer that helping hand no matter where we are from or what we look like.

Below I added the link to the video “The epic journey of a refugee cat to find its family” from The Guardian website. This is real footage from Kunkush and his family.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/feb/19/refugee-family-who-fled-iraq-are-reunited-with-cat-video

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My Name is Not Refugee by Kate Milner

In this book, a mother and her son are forced to leave their home and to say goodbye to their friends. With only a backpack they set out on their journey to find a new safe place to live. Along the way, the boy sees many new things, tries different food and meets new people. They have new experiences such as spending the night in camps sleeping in sleeping bags with many other people. The family finally reaches their new home where they are free from danger and learn to adjust. The mother tells him, “you’ll be called Refugee but remember Refugee is not your name” (Milner 24).

This story is targeted for young readers and Milner does a great job using illustrations to support the text. The palette of colors and simple but intricate drawings narrate the meanings of the words so that children can understand what is happening in the story. The flow of the text and the language also make it relatable to children and allows them to comprehend the storyline.

Throughout the book, Milner also asks questions that relate to the reading. For example, on page 4 as the mother explains to her child that they will be leaving, she reminds him that he can pack his own bag but may only take whatever he is able to carry. At the bottom of the page the question “what would you take? is presented so that the reader may ask the audience for their input.

On page 6 of the story the question, “do you think you could live in a place where there is no water in the taps and no one to pick up the rubbish? is asked as you see the boy sadly staring out of the window of the car as they drive away. These questions may be hard to ask children and many children may not be able to comprehend these complexities due to not having experienced something like this first hand but these issues are important to bring up.

Although many children now, especially in the US may not have had to experience migrating or becoming refugees themselves but there are countless families and children that are seeking refuge and looking to start over in new places and it is important that teachers not only try to understand what these children are going through and have faced but also educate their students on why it is important to be accepting of these new children.

Milner’s book My Name is Not Refugee is a great start in explaining the refugee crisis to students and how important it is not only to refugees but to everyone. Stories about this topic educate children on world issues but also teach empathy and compassion.

This book was published in 2017 in Great Britain by The Bucket List, and in 2016 it was the winner of the V & A Illustration Awards. Milner was inspired by her daughter’s career experiences as a teacher and her own political ones to write this book in relation to the European migrant crisis and addresses it to younger readers. This link is for downloading the Teacher’s Toolkit for using this book in the classroom, presented by the same publisher.

http://www.bucketlistbooks.co.uk/uploads/8/3/6/3/83638416/mninr_teachers_low.pdf