The Journey: 0

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the this book is suggested for 3-6-year-olds but I suggest using it for children aged up to 12 and even older; Start with the end-papers (inside the front cover), which are wonderful. What can the children see? If they don’t mention it, point out the broken white line. What does this show? a wonderful teaching tool for those who are welcoming refugees into their community.”— The New York Times Francesca Sanna creates images that evoke the cost of war to all who are threatened by it. […] Emotional, often stark, yet also hopeful, they will allow readers to share the emotions felt by the many refugee families looking for shelter and safety.” Sanna’s prose is lyrical yet sparse enough to emphasize the harsh and abrupt changes that the family experiences, and she has created a beautiful interplay of words and pictures. […] All of the illustrations are beautifully layered and textured with color, pattern, and meaning.

From the author: The Journey is actually a story about many journeys, and it began with the story of two girls I met in a refugee center in Italy. After meeting them I realized that behind their journey lay something very powerful. So I began collecting more stories of migration and interviewing many people from many different countries. A few months later, in September 2014, when I started studying a Master of Arts in Illustration at the Academy of Lucerne, I knew I wanted to create a book about these true stories. Almost every day on the news we hear the terms "migrants" and "refugees" but we rarely ever speak to or hear the personal journeys that they have had to take. This book is a collage of all those personal stories and the incredible strength of the people within them. A young family’s safe world is turned upside down when war arrives,causing turmoil in their lives and forcing them to flee in search of safety. Told through the eyes of one of the children, the story follow their journey across hills and through forests, over enormous walls and stormy seas, encountering things both wondrous and scary in their search for a new home. The crisp blend of realistic and fantastical illustrations in Sanna’s debut picture book impart as much content and emotional depth as its carefully woven text narrated by an anonymous child. […] Based on a compilation of immigrant interviews, this selection is timely and beautiful, appropriate for use with young children given the continuing situation of refugees around the world made particularly visible in recent years.” the book begins by showing the family enjoying time together at the beach, just like families the world over; And they face all kinds of obstacles - a high guarded wall, a sea that stretches far and wide, a scary ferry boat ride, followed by a long train ride, all in search of a home where the family can begin their story all over again.

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This beautifully illustrated picture book introduces a powerful and moving perspective on migration for readers of all ages. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the story explores the unimaginable decisions faced by a mother and her two children as they are forced to flee their home and everyone they know to escape the turmoil of war.

This lesson can be modified for use with younger children but is best suited to children in Years 3-6. I know there are 'humans' out there hate immigrant or refugee, maybe not hate but don't want them in their 'own' country, I know their (immigrant or refugee) negative influences, I do have some complaints as well, and I do know politics let and keep these people suffer, or die. discuss the emotion words you wrote on the classroom whiteboard. Ask the children to draw a picture of the family and what was happening in one part of the story. Children describe what was happening and how they think the characters felt; Given the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe and immigration debates in the U.S. and abroad, Sanna’s story is well poised to spark necessary conversations about the costs of war.”read the author’s name and, for younger children, revise/introduce the words: author and illustrator. Why do you think there is only one name on the cover? (author and illustrator are the same);

the family initially flees in their car, then travels by getting lifts with other people, on foot, by ferry and finally by train; a mother and her son and daughter flee a war in their country after the children’s father has been killed;

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the story ends without telling us if the family find a safe life and where they go. Why do you think the author ends the story this way? Do you like this ending? We cannot imagine a better way to introduce children ages 5 – 7 to the piercing realities of becoming a refugee. We wish that this book was required reading for every single official making decisions that affect migrants.”— Spirituality and Practice The tone of the story is simple, told through the voice of the children in the tale. It's a nice approach as it makes the story easy to understand, and it worked well with the simple, yet beautiful artwork.