by Jackie Friedman Mighdoll
World Refugee Day is celebrated globally on June 20th. It’s an opportunity to recognize the courage and resilience of the millions of people who have been forced to leave their homes. It’s also an opportunity to build empathy and understanding in those who can welcome them. These recent picture books offer readers a window into different refugee experiences.
A Star Shines Through
When war begins, a girl and her mother leave their home in the big city for another country. The new place is full of differences, and it’s difficult to adjust. “Even Mom is different.” But when Mom brings home a cardboard star, like the one they used to have at home, things slowly improve. Author/illustrator Anna Denitskaya was in Cyprus in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. She knew she was no longer going back to her beloved home in Moscow. This picture book reflects her family’s experiences moving and resettling (more than once), each time taking the star with them.
Home is a Door We Carry
Two kids who have been “traveling for a long time” think about the houses they have left behind. One wonders if their little red house is scared or hurt or lonely, and wishes they could magically carry a miniature house with them. The other imagines their house carrying the kids and protecting them when things get scary. They both dream of a happy ending where they can live side by side, safely in their homes. The back matter explains how many children become refugees and why, and encourages kids to take the first step in welcoming newcomers. The author and illustrator was born in Moscow and worked with refugee arts organizations in Berlin.
Kende! Kende! Kende!
In this bilingual (French/English) story, Lolie and her family must leave their home due to conflict in Central Africa. They journey to a temporary refugee camp and ultimately find a new snowy home, a plane ride away. Lolie grows from a toddler who loves to “go go go” (kende! kende! kende!) to a big sister to a young person who uses her new language skills to get help for her family–so they can “go! go! go!” to the hospital where her newest sibling is born. Besides the main text in French and English, Lingala dialogue and sounds are integrated into the illustrations in almost every spread. There’s also a great map of Central Africa at the front of the book with QR codes so you can listen to the story in French, English, Lingala, Swahili, Portuguese, Kinyarwanda and Arabic.
Finding Home: Words from Kids Seeking Sanctuary
By Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner
Photographs by Shelley Rotner
Published by Clarion Books, 2024
Buy at Bookshop.org in the US
This book centers photos of children who have had to leave their homes. Through speech bubbles, the kids explain briefly how they left, where they went, how they felt, and how they feel now. There’s a wide range of stories and countries. It’s a simple entry point for young children into understanding what it means to be a refugee. In this book, the kids seem to be already settled in their new country–enjoying recess, soccer, art, and new friends. The back matter includes suggestions for kids and grown-ups on ways to help.
More Books
If you’re looking for books for older readers, the website I’m your neighbor has extensive book lists for and about refugees.
Here at World Kid Lit, we also have this list of recommended books on war, refuge and asylum. And for other blog posts on picture books about war and conflict and refugee experiences, see here and here.
About Jackie Friedman Mighdoll
Jackie Friedman Mighdoll is co-editor of this blog. She is passionate about discovering and sharing the diversity of the world with children. She writes books for kids and translates from Japanese to English. In a prior career, she founded a program teaching world languages to children, starting with newborns. She shares great finds On Beyond!
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