A true and inspiring story of a refugee hero
Yusra, a young Syrian woman, travels at the age of 17 with her older sister to escape the war in her country.
Having trained since childhood, Yusra dreams of swimming at the Olympics. The sisters, now refugees, pay smugglers and end up on a small inflatable loaded with people and headed to Greece. Shortly after the boat takes off from the Turkish shore, the engine fails. However, Yusra and her sister jump into the water and help guide it to safety despite the rough sea. They arrive on the shore tired and cold. Strangers stare at them with accusing looks, but there is also “sudden kindness” when a child gives Yusra shoes. They walk for miles on rough terrain, then take buses and trains until reaching safety in Germany. There, Yusra starts training to swim again, eventually achieving her dream. In clipped quatrains—no line exceeds four syllables—the story relates Yusra Mardini’s journey from Syria in 2015, culminating in her participation in the 2016 Olympics as part of a team of refugees. Abery’s choice of spare, rhythmic verse gives the narrative a gripping and dramatic feel while Deng’s illustrations convey the struggles of war and displacement. Yusra is portrayed throughout as a strong and resilient young woman, determined and full of courage. A note from the author provides additional information about Yusra’s journey, including her becoming a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency.
A true and inspiring story of a refugee hero . (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-56846-329-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A gently whimsical rumination about compromise and friendship.
Stormy waters await two friends on the high seas.
In this follow-up to Kondo & Kezumi Visit Giant Island (2020), best pals Kondo and Kezumi are back in their tiny boat, sailing toward new adventures. Kondo wants to stick with their plans to visit Spaghetti Island, but Kezumi is easily distracted by nearby wonders. Her curiosity piqued, she longs to follow schools of carrot-colored, long-eared sea jumpers bounding out of the water and to explore a mysterious rusty ship. Kondo, however, is frustrated by Kezumi’s constant diversions, wishing to stay on course. When the duo shipwrecks on a strange new island, their tensions come to a head, and each stomps off angrily in opposite directions. Kezumi finds an immense broken warning bell and wants to fix it but cannot move it without Kondo’s help; will they be able to reconcile and work together? Adhering to stereotypes, Kondo, the yellow male character, is markedly larger and stockier than female Kezumi, who is orange, frilled, and slight. This quibble aside, Goodner and Tsurumi’s tale offers many alluringly adorable two-page illustrated spreads, with text divided into readably short chapters. The pacing pulls readers along like a swift current, and worldbuilding is playful and unexpected, dialing up the imagination and creating a new dimension for this tried-and-true friendship tale.
A gently whimsical rumination about compromise and friendship. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5473-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charmer that’s sure to garner its protagonist a devoted following—much to his chagrin.
This anti-social lupine just wants to be alone.
Wolf—the sole animal in class 2B—growls at the children until they all huddle at the far end of the room. Mrs. Horsefly asks him to leave, so he visits an empty cinema. Another moviegoer arrives, so Wolf tries unsuccessfully to get rid of him, then heads for the shore. Happily, the beach is deserted, but, breaking open a bag of chips, he’s set upon by voracious seagulls, which eat his snack as he chases them. After laboring up a mountain, Wolf is briefly alone—until he’s joined by a clueless hiker intent on photographing Wolf. Wolf devises a plan: He invites everyone he’s encountered to a party at his house. They all arrive: kids, teacher, seagulls, movie theater patron, hiker. Just as Wolf had imagined, “It was horrible.” But absconding to the now-vacant theater, beach, mountain, and classroom, Wolf is “finally…alone.” Originality, mordant humor, copious, detailed color drawings, and a resolutely understated text make this tale a winner. A confirmed introvert, consistently ornery and ultimately unreformed, Wolf is a refreshing character who even becomes sort of admirable in his grumpy single-mindedness. Expressive cartoon art depicts him as doglike, though not cuddly; still, Wolf won’t scare readers, who are more likely to hope for a stuffie version. Human characters are diverse.
A charmer that’s sure to garner its protagonist a devoted following—much to his chagrin. (Early reader. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9780823457779
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
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