English / Great Britain
The journey
Sanna, Francesca
(text/illus.)
London [et al.]: Flying Eye Books, 2016. – [43] p.
ISBN 978-1-909263-99-4
Refugee | War | Picture book
Reading age: 6+
White Ravens issue: 2017
Life in a city close to the sea is interrupted by a war that destroys the city and takes father. Tension-filled scenes contrast the happy family in their framed photo with the now fatherless family, clutching together to stay safe from the reaching hands of danger. They pack their belongings and go in search of a faraway place where they will no longer be frightened. The journey is marked by nighttime departure, hiding in various modes of transportation and leaving more and more of their belongings behind. Strong visuals give emotional pulse to the story – the overwhelming power of the menacing figure denying border entry, followed by the children’s nuanced feelings of safety in their mother’s arms, unaware of her silent tears. The passage across the water is presented as frightening but also with encouraging undertones in the sea. The book ends on a note of hope for a new beginning. This is a story about being a refugee in times of war; since the country is not specified, it is open to universal interpretation.