The Refuge

Description

'There's a new girl at school. She never stops looking up at the sky! She likes the stars and comets.' Jeannette tells her mom about her new classmate, who also loves astronomy but seems sad. She realizes it's not easy to move to a new place. So the next day, at recess, Jeannette asks Iliana to play. At first, it's a little hard to communicate because Iliana is learning a new language. The girls have to use their hands and their drawings. But they keep trying, and, soon, Iliana tells Jeannette about her difficult journey as a refugee who had to leave her country. Then their families meet, and Iliana's parents share their story too. The girls' friendship blooms, as limitless as the sky and their imaginations. Originally published in France and brought to life with wonderfully expressive artwork, this is a book about sharing stories and finding refuge in friendship, family, and a new home.

Sandra le Guen is the author of numerous picture books and novels in France. She created a photo exhibition around her writing process and her perception of the world: I write, I create? Learn more online at www.sandraleguen.blogspot.com. Stephane Nicolet was born in Burgundy and still lives in France. He has illustrated many nonfiction titles and is now exploring comics and fiction. He has also written and illustrated a children's cookbook. Daniel Hahn is an author, editor, and award-winning translator. His translation of The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2007. His translation of A General Theory of Oblivion, also by Jose Eduardo Agualusa, won the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award. He recently translated Along the Tapajos, written and illustrated by Fernando Vilela. In 2017, Hahn helped establish the TA First Translation Prize, a new prize for debut literary translation. Learn more online at www.danielhahn.co.uk.

"Le Guen has managed to take a complex plot and difficult message and combine them into an easy-to-follow story from an outsider's point of view. The words are clear, and the plot flows well. Hahn's translation is excellent. Nicolet's illustrations reinforce the child's perspective, showing the emotions and difficulty behind Iliana's family's journey to a new home. Le Guen, Nicolet, and Hahn tell a powerful tale about refuge and refugees, helping readers make sense of a complex crisis. A great story to help children understand a refugee's perspective." --School Library Journal