Tag Archives: Migration

Crossing The Farak River

Leave a reply

Fourteen-year-old Hasina, her younger brother Araf, and her thirteen-year-old cousin Ghadiya are forced out of their home in the Rakhine province of Myanmar when the Sit Tat Myanmar Army invades one night.  They become separated from their parents.  They know to flee because they are persecuted Muslim Rohingyas. They run deep into the Rakhine forest to hide, but when they return to their village, it has been burned and mostly destroyed.  Their house is still standing, but their family is gone. Hasina is a strong, courageous character who fights for her family in this captivating account of the crisis in Myanmar. mjw

Title: Crossing The Farak River Author: Michelle Aung Thin Publisher: Annick Press. Toronto Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English Original Title: Hasina Original Publisher: Allen and Unwin. Australia Original Copyright: 2019 ISBN: 978-1-77321-396-5 Paperback pages: 224 Age range: 11 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Myanmar Author’s ethnicity: Born in Burma, now Myanmar Author’s residence: Australia Subjects: Arakan, Buddhists, Burmese, Human trafficking, Muslims, Persecution, Rakhine State,Refugees, Rohingyas, Soldiers

Lubna And Pebble

Leave a reply

Lubna lives with her father and brothers in a world of tents.  Her best friend is a shiny, smooth, gray pebble.  She draws a happy face on it and keeps it warm wrapped in a tea towel in a shoebox.  She tells the pebble about home, the war, and that she loves it.  Soon, a little boy arrives.  At first, he has no words.  He coughs, sneezes, smiles, and says his name is Amir.  Lubna and Amir become friends.  One day, Lubna’s daddy announces that they are leaving because they have found a home.  Lubna feels happy, then sad.  Amir cries. Lubna gives Amir her pebble.  He needs it more than she does.  Larger-than-life, stunning illustrations complement this powerful story. mjw

Title: Lubna And Pebble Author: Wendy Meddour Illustrator: Daniel Egneus Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers. New York Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-052-5554-165 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Middle East Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Athens, Greece Awards; 2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List Subjects: Refugees

A Place To Belong

Leave a reply

World War II is over and Hanako and her family – her father, her mother, and little brother Akira – are moving to Japan.  They have been in an internment camp for Japanese-Americans in America.  They have renounced their citizenship so they can leave the camp and return to Japan to live with Hanako’s grandparents on a tenant farm outside of Hiroshima.  They barely survive.  Hanako struggles to fit in as an outsider in her new home.  This is a moving book interspersed with black and white drawings. mjw

Title: A Place To Belong Author: Cynthia Kadohata Illustrator: Julia Kuo Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English  ISBN: 978-1-481446648 Hardcover pages: 416 Age range: 10-14 Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Hiroshima, Japan Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: California, U.S. Subjects: Emigration and immigration, Hiroshima, Multigenerational family life, Japan, Japan history 1945

Vanishing Colors

Leave a reply

In this haunting story, a young girl and her mother take shelter in their roofless house to sleep. The mother tells the story of a large bird that flies from the mountains to protect them.  Dark illustrations show that the city is ravaged by war.  The bird reminds the girl of happy memories and colors that were there before.  The girl and her mother can leave when the girl sees all the colors in the rainbow, which makes a bridge across the sky.  The book ends with the mother and child walking on, holding hands, under a rainbow. They will stay together and help each other. mjw

Title: Vanishing Colors Author: Constance Orbeck-Nilssen Illustrator: Akin Duzakin Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2019 Original Language: Norwegian Translator: Kari Dickson Original Title: Fargene som forsvant Original Publisher: Vigmostad & Bjorke Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5518-3 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Eastern Europe Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian Author’s residence: Norway Illustrator’s ethnicity: Turkish-Norwegian Illustrator’s residence: Norway Awards:  2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List Subjects: Destruction, Emigration and Immigration, Homelessness and poverty, Migration, Parents, Refugees, Social issues

The Whale The Sea And The Stars

Leave a reply

Gerda the blue whale listens to her mother’s beautiful song.  She sings that if Gerda ever gets lost, she should look to the stars and they would guide her.  When Gerda leaves home, she travels from warm equatorial waters to freezing polar waters. She meets penguins, a grouchy octopus, seagulls, orcas, a polar bear, and a narwhal.  Gerda wants to stop traveling and find a special place of her own. She eventually hears someone singing her mother’s song.  It is Lars, her brother.  She has found the most beautiful bay filled with more and more whales: Beluga whales and grey whales, beaked whales and bowhead whales, humpback whales and right whales, all living happily.  She knows her journey is over.  The luminous illustrations were drawn by hand on a graphics tablet and finished using natural color palettes and textures. mjw

Title: The Whale The Sea And The Stars Author: Adrian Macho Illustrator: Adrian Macho Publisher: Floris Books, Edinburgh Copyright: 2019 Original Language: Czech Translator: Peter Kavecky Original Title: Gerda Prise Velryby Original Publisher: Albatros Media A.S. Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-178250-559-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Slovak Author’s residence: Bratislava, Slovakia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Slovak Illustrator’s residence: Bratislava, Slovakia Subjects: Marine life, Narwhal, Penguins, Polar bears, Stars, Whales

Coming Home

Leave a reply

A lone Scandinavian robin migrates across Europe to Great Britain in the winter to escape the harsher northern winters and to find his mate before Christmas. The striking illustrations of the red-breasted bird were created digitally. Robin migration facts are included. mjw

Title: Coming Home Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Kerry Hyndman Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English  Original Publisher: David Fickling Books, Oxford Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0042-3 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Scandinavia, Britain Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Devon, England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London, England Subjects: Birds Christmas, Holidays, Robins

I’m An Immigrant Too!

Leave a reply

This book uses poetry to guide the reader though the journeys of several young people, as they immigrate from various countries around the world to Australia. Brightly colored computer graphics set the tone marvelously for this story of perseverance and hope. mm

Title: I’m An Immigrant Too! Author: Mem Fox Illustrator: Ronojoy Ghosh Publisher: Beach Lane Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-5344-3602-2 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Adelaide, Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: Sydney, Australia Subjects: Australia, Family, Immigrants