The Journey

Product Description ". . . a wonderful teaching tool for those who are welcoming refugees into their community."— The New York Times With haunting echoes of the current refugee crisis this beautifully illustrated book explores the unimaginable decisions made as a family leave their home and everything they know to escape the turmoil and tragedy brought by war. This book will stay with you long after the last page is turned. From the author: The Journey is actually a story about many journeys, and it began with the story of two girls I met in a refugee center in Italy. After meeting them I realized that behind their journey lay something very powerful. So I began collecting more stories of migration and interviewing many people from many different countries. A few months later, in September 2014, when I started studying a Master of Arts in Illustration at the Academy of Lucerne, I knew I wanted to create a book about these true stories. Almost every day on the news we hear the terms "migrants" and "refugees" but we rarely ever speak to or hear the personal journeys that they have had to take. This book is a collage of all those personal stories and the incredible strength of the people within them. From School Library Journal Gr 1–4—The crisp blend of realistic and fantastical illustrations in Sanna's debut picture book impart as much content and emotional depth as its carefully woven text narrated by an anonymous child. This title chronicles the unexpected, grueling migration of a family whose lives are forever changed by war. A contrasting palette with the startling use of black effectively depicts the father's death, the grasping hands of worry, and the fear, sadness, and exhaustion experienced during the arduous escape. Protagonists' pale faces and dark hair call to mind Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis, although the setting is not specific in terms of region or country. Readers follow the family with bated breath from the beginning end pages, which foreshadow the plot, and then as they travel by car, trucks, bicycle, foot, boat, and train. The narrator notes that "the farther we go…the more we leave behind." Simple words. Profound meaning. Books and storytelling provide a measure of emotional stamina for the family throughout their journey, and final end pages offer a small sense of hope for this unfinished tale. VERDICT Based on a compilation of immigrant interviews, this selection is timely and beautiful, appropriate for use with young children given the continuing situation of refugees around the world made particularly visible in recent years.—Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, IL Review Winner of the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor and New Illustrator Honor Awards!SELECTED AS AN ALSC NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF 2017SELECTED FOR THE 2017 USBBY OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL BOOKS LISTINCLUDED IN CCBC CHOICES 2017A The New York Times' NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF 2016THEA WALL STREET JOURNAL'S BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF 2016A Publisher’s Weekly'S BEST BOOKS OF 2016A Kirkus Reviews' BEST PICTURE BOOKS OF 2016 A School Library Journal'S BEST PICTURE BOOKS OF 2016A GUARDIAN'S BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF 2016A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS 2016AN ALL THE WONDERS' BEST PICTURE BOOKS OF 2016A LET'S TALK PICTURE BOOKS' BEST PICTURE BOOKS OF 2016A CHICKADEE LIT'S PICTURE BOOKS TO CELEBRATE KINDNESS "We cannot imagine a better way to introduce children ages 5 - 7 to the piercing realities of becoming a refugee. We wish that this book was required reading for every single official making decisions that affect migrants."— Spirituality and Practice "Given the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe and immigration debates in the U.S. and abroad, Sanna’s story is well poised to spark necessary conversations about the costs of war." — Publisher’s Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "Simultaneously heartbreaking, scary, and brightly hopeful, this timely tale with simply captivating artwork will spur little ones to a