What is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel

📚  BOOK REVIEW  📚

Title: What is a Refugee?

Author / Illustrator: Elise Gravel

Publisher: Random House

Age: 4-8

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Islamic Content: Muslim Family

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Concerns: None

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Summary & Review:

This picture book is dedicated to give a clear definition of a refugee in simple and age appropriate language. There are so many things that I appreciate and love about this particular book. Although it is simple in language, the reader is able to get an overall idea about refugees as a whole. Mentions various reasons for their fleeing, their separation from relatives, their placement in camps while they wait to find new homes, their unwelcome experiences from other countries. In current times when we read refugee books, almost always in the center of it, Muslim families are discussed. What makes this book unique, while it does include a girl in a hijab, it actually doesn't focus on one group of people and their refugee story. Rather, it displays the diverse range of people, and skin colour. I also love the simplicity of illustrations in this book, makes it more powerful. It ensures to highlight that most refugees would have preferred to stay close to family and friends but cannot due to unavoidable circumstances. The end of the book includes a spread of refugee kids and few sentences about themselves. Also, includes short introductions of a few famous refugees. I would definitely suggest this book for classroom bookshelves to spark discussion and open the conversation.

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