AN INVISIBLE RIVER TO CROSS

A struggling young immigrant finds peace through art.

Afsaneh (called Afsi), a brown-skinned youngster with curly hair, was born in a land “far, far away.” Though Afsi’s country of origin is never specified, Afsaneh means “fairy tale” in Persian. Life here is anything but a fairy tale, however—Afsi feels trapped by unfamiliar English words, and learning a new language is like crossing an invisible river “where there is no beginning and no end.” When the teacher calls Afsi’s name in class, Afsi doesn’t understand and feels shame and rage, pictured in explosive reds. But then a classmate offers colored pencils and paper, and Afsi sees that everyone else is drawing. Afsi calms down while creating a family portrait, and the invisible river hums tranquilly. The protagonist’s intense emotional experiences are given full expression in vivid, lyrical language and metaphor, paired with Balouch’s bright, childlike illustrations that resemble cut-paper collage. A small, expressive dragonlike creature accompanies Afsi, reflecting the youngster’s emotions—breathing fire when Afsi screams in anger and curling up by Afsi’s side as the child draws. Readers unfamiliar with the challenges of learning a language will be enlightened, while those who have been in Afsi’s shoes will feel seen. All will find plenty to ponder and discuss on every spread.

A dreamy and layered work that honors children’s complex emotional landscape.