Kunkush: The True Story of a Refugee Cat

Gr 2-5--These two additions to the series center on refugee stories in an accessible picture book format. Hedy's Journey is based on the author's mother's account of fleeing to the United States as a teen during the Holocaust--and all of the tribulations in between. Bisson effectively communicates the high level of stress and danger, while also emphasizing the value of love and family. The illustrator's color palette of gray, sepia, and a subdued dusty pink (for Hedy's clothing) suits the historical time period. There are no swastika's depicted in the illustrations. Kunkush is the true story of a cat who was reunited with his family of Iraqi refugees after being separated from them when they reached the shore of the Greek island Lesbos. Ventura's narrative follows Kunkush and the amazing network of people who worked to bring him back to his owners. Guo's graphic design--like artwork is suffused with light and shadow, blues and oranges. Overall, the entries are a bit text heavy but should work well in a small group or one-on-one setting.