Marwan's Journey
by Patricia de Arias (Author) Laura Borràs (Illustrator)
One night they came... The darkness grew colder, deeper, darker, and swallowed up everything... Marwan is a young boy on a journey he never intended to take, bound for a place he doesn't know. On his journey, he relies on courage and memories of his faraway homeland to buoy him. With him are hundreds and thousands of other human beings, crossing the deserts and the seas, fleeing war and hunger in search of safety. He must take one step after another--bringing whatever he can carry, holding on to dreams. This is the journey of one boy who longs for a home, and we follow his path, walking hand in hand with him as he looks forward with uncertainty and hopes for a peaceful future. This beautiful, heartfelt story gives a human face to the plight of refugees all over the world. Marwan's journey is everyone's journey.
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Publishers Weekly
After tanks arrive and "swallow up everything," a boy begins the harrowing, heartbreaking journey away from his home in an unnamed desert village: "I take giant steps even though I am small.... I don't know when I will get there, or where I am going. I carry a heavy bag." His mother is missing, but the boy dreams of her as they camp at night and imagines her words urging him forward as he walks during the day, joining "hundreds of people, thousands of feet, one in front of the other." Finally, the boy reaches a border, where an ambiguous ending suggests that he finds a new home in a new country. Readers may need help puzzling out a few metaphors in some of the spare, poetic lines ("I will build my house with the cement of my sure steps"). But Borràs, the recipient of several international illustration awards, creates powerful images in fluid ink lines and textured paint washes that convey with uncommon sensitivity a young refugee's fear, courage, and sense of dislocation. Ages 5-7. (May)
Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
K-Gr 3--Young Marwan takes "giants steps even though I am small...crossing the desert," leaving traces of his homeland behind. He takes with him small relics such as a photograph as well as many memories as he travels to "an infinite line that separates the desert from the sea." Though he heads to another land with a different language, to a different house in a different country, he remembers his mother's words and never loses hope. Instead, Marwan continues to "pray that night never...goes so dark again." Lightly layered illustrations, done in what appears to be watercolor and ink, use earth tones to evoke a desert landscape. As the child continues his trek, additional but subtle colors are introduced in the changing scenery. Marwan's spare narration effectively conveys his journey, complemented by the changing perspectives of the illustration. VERDICT This lyrical yet accessible addition to a growing body of refugee stories captures the resilience and courage of displaced children seeking safety and sanctuary.--Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Patricia de Arias was born in Spain in 1973. She began her career as an actress before publishing a number of children's books in Brazil, where she now lives. Her work has received international recognition, including Marwan's Journey, which received a Special Mention at the Bologna Ragazzi Awards in Italy in 2017.
Laura Borràs is an internationally acclaimed illustrator who has published numerous books that have been awarded in many countries. She studied illustration in Spain and Italy, and her work has been recognized by the Bologna Children's Book Fair.
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
JUV030110 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Middle East
