Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Hassan’s family have recently moved to the U.K. from Somalia. Refugees that left their country due to the horrors of war, Hassan is torn between having left behind memories that he loved and memories that he has yet to come to terms with. In addition, although his classmates are friendly, the language gap is so big that he finds it difficult to acclimatise. Fortunately, art is a universal communicator and upon seeing a painting of Hassan, the teacher, Miss Kelly, realises that Hassan’s worries are not just about fitting in.

Although more a picture book than a true picturebook and Hoffman writes about this from an outsider’s perspective, this story of the plight of a young refugee is very good and worthy of a place in any classroom. Hoffman may be better known for her Amazing Grace books but there is a clever book in which a child’s own art is used to mirror the internal fears that he has. A unique and wise way of inviting the outsider in and showing how communities can come together to make such troubling transitions as painless as possible.