Brave struggles of survival

There are many books that describe what life is like for a refugee and thus help build empathy and understanding in children.

I could give you cold, hard facts. I could inform you that the UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency, estimates that there are 80 million people around the world who have been forced to flee from their homes. Of these, 26 million are refugees. Each one of them is looking to fulfil their basic needs and live dignified lives.

Or else, I could just tell you the story of a little boy who doesn’t know where his parents are, but is bravely taking care of his little brother, struggling to survive in an impoverished refugee camp.

I have no doubt that the latter will resonate emotionally, and give you a better idea of what life is like for a refugee.

UNHCR recognises June 20 as World Refugee Day, an occasion to build empathy and understanding of the lives of refugees. Books provide this opportunity to build empathy. Here’s a list of some children’s books that touched me.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan: This exquisite wordless picture book left me, with, well, no words. The pictures carry a lot of emotion in them, and bring out the sense of strangeness and loneliness in a new land.

In Four Feet Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka, two young girls in a refugee camp find one sandal each of a pair of sandals. As they wait for news on whether they will be resettled in another land, they share their sandals and their joys and sorrows with each other.

The Roses in my Carpets by Rukhsana Khan and illustrated by Ronald Himler is a beautiful story about a young Afghan refugee who finds comfort in the carpets he weaves.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park tells the true story of Salva Dut, who is separated from his family during the war in South Sudan. He walks for miles, enduring both physical dangers and emotional hardship to find a place to live. The book also has the fictional story of Nya who walks hours every day for water. Their stories come together at the end.

The Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed is a graphic novel that tells the true story of Omar and his brother Hassan, Somalian refugees living in a Kenyan camp, waiting and hoping to be resettled to America. The day-to-day details of the lives of refugees come alive in a stark way in this book.

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf is a delightful story of a group of young children in London who are curious about the “refugee boy” who has joined their school. They hit upon a truly outlandish plan to try and unite him with his family. Written with a lot of humour and sensitivity, this is a gentle and relatable introduction to refugees.

It’s only when you are aware of an issue that you can work to address it!

The author has written 10 books for children and can be reached at www.shruthi-rao.com

GobbledyBook is a fortnightly column that gives a peek into the wondrous world of children’s books. Hop on! Or as Alice did, plunge into the rabbit hole.