2/25/2017 0 Comments The Journey2016, Written & Illustrated by Francesca Sanna The Journey is a beautiful picturebook about a family of displaced refugees trying to find somewhere safe to live after war destroys their home. The Journey is a story that is a difficult reality for many families today. From a genre-perspective it is difficult to place: its content is largely contemporary, while its illustrations are largely fantastical. The narration, provided by one of the children, provides an innocence and whimsy to the story, which adds to its fantastical nature. Therefore, I am shelving it as Speculative Fiction, but it could easily be shelved with Contemporary Realistic Fiction. From such struggles as avoiding guards and crossing borders, The Journey is a very serious book about a very important (and current) topic. The gorgeous illustrations also life up a story that could easily become too heavy. The current Refugee Crisis makes having picturebooks like The Journey, in my opinion, necessary. The Journey takes a topic that might be difficult to approach with young children and makes it accessible and beautiful. The Journey is not a fun read. It is not going to leave kids laughing or clapping or singing along. But it is still necessary. With thoughtful context provided by adults, The Journey is a beautiful way to teach compassion and understanding, which lately we could all use more of.
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