English & some Hmong 6-10 Hmong Culture Own Voices Refugee Experience Family Lived Experiences Social-Emotional Learning Kao Kalia Yang & Billy Thao summary Yang Warriors is a beautiful story that is one of the first books I’ve read that’s entirely Own Voices, with both a Hmong author and Hmong-American illustrator. The book takes place in…
Tag: refugee narratives
Salma the Syrian Chef
English & Arabic 4-8 years Immigration Refugee Stories Community Chosen Family Cooking Danny Ramadan & Anna Bron Summary: For #TheFictionFeast this month, I wanted to highlight a book that hits a lot of important details that I look for in a story. Main character Salma from Salma the Syrian Chef looks to a mixed refugee…
Like a Dandelion
English 4-8 years Own Voices Cambodian-American Creator Refugee Experiences Immigration Joy Mindfulness Huy Voun Lee summary Like a Dandelion is such a sweet book, and follows a young child as she moves with her mother to a new place. Using the metaphor of a dandelion’s life cycle, the pair take root in a new place…
Escape: One Day We Had to Run
English 5 years & up Refugee Experiences Immigration Lived Experiences Social-Emotional Learning Ming & Wah Chen, Carmen Vela summary I had the opportunity to do the cover reveal for this book, and I’m so excited that it’s out in the world now! For #SweetsAndSocialJustice I found a recipe that put a new spin on one…
Cover Reveal: Escape: One Day We Had To Run
Written By: Ming & Wah Chen Illustrated by: Carmen Vela For Ages: 7-9 years Language: English Topics Covered: Cover Reveal, Refugee Experience, Global Community, History. Summary: I’m so excited to be part of Lantana Publishing’s cover reveal for Escape: One Day We Had To Run, which will be available in May! Especially given that it’s…
The Paper Boat
Written & Illustrated by: Thao Lam For Ages: 6-9 years Language: Wordless Topics Covered: Family, Immigration, Military, Vietnamese Families, Relocation, Vietnamese-Canadian, Own Voices. Summary: This beautiful wordless story follows a family fleeing Vietnam by boat with a parallel journey of an ant colony. A young girl rescues some ants that have fallen into a bowl…
Wherever I Go
Written by: Mary Wagley Copp Illustrated by: Munir D. Mohammed For ages: 6-9 years Language: English Topics Covered: Refugees, Resettlement, Lived Experiences, Family, African Culture & Identity, Friendship, Growing Up, Social-Emotional Learning. Summary: Abia has declared herself queen of the refugee camp she lives in, Shimelba! She knows all the ins and outs of daily life, like how to…
Lilah Tov Good Night
Written by: Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G) Illustrated by: Noar Lee Naggan For ages: 3 years and up Language: English and some Hebrew Topics Covered: Refugee, Growing Up, Lullaby, Family, Nature, Love, Social-Emotional Learning, Summary: This is a very sweet book that delicately explains the refugee experience of a family in a lullaby style. A young girl happily plays outside and…
Four Feet, Two Sandals
Written by: Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed Illustrated by: Doug Chayka For ages: 7-10 years Language: English Topics Covered: Refugees, Friendship, Empathy, Immigration, Global Community. Summary: This is a very sweet and emotional story of two friends that meet in a refugee camp when each gets only one sandal from a supply truck. Lina and Feroza become friends and begin to…
The Banana-Leaf Ball: How Play Can Change the World
Written by: Katie Smith Milway Illustrated by: Shane Evans For ages: 8 years and up Language: English & Kirundi Topics Covered: Refugee Narratives, POC-Centric Narratives, Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Empowerment, Global Community, Friendship, Historical Fiction, Historical Figure. Summary: Deo is a young boy when his village is attacked. He and his family flee into the night with only what they can carry. Deo can’t…