An Illustrated Year 6- The Colour of Home by Mary Hoffman

Image: fantasticfiction.co.uk

Hassan has just arrived from Somalia. Even though his new teacher and classmates try to make him feel at home, everything is very strange, including the English language. His teacher gives him paper and paint and asks him to paint a picture.

At first Hassan draws his family and home on Somalia, all vibrant colours, but then through his picture he displays the war and violence that drove his family from their home. The next day at school there is a Somali interpreter, so that he can explain his family's story to Miss Kelly. He then paints another picture for his family and plays football with a new friend in the playground. Back at his family's new flat, he can see the colours of home, both from objects from his old life in Somalia and the new life that his parents are trying to create.

This book has beautiful illustrations by Karin Littlewood, with the colour palette changing to reflect not only Hassan's life in Somalia and his life in his new country, but also his emotional state. Interestingly enough, many American reviews that I have seen assume that Hassan has moved to the USA, although the new country is not specified. I'd assumed that the new country was the UK due to him playing football (soccer)- maybe this is changed in American editions? In any case, it shows what a universal and powerful story it is- it really could be understood by any European, North American, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand child.

I recommend this book to read with children 6+ during Refugee Week (18th-24th June), or indeed at any point that you wanted to discuss war and migration. It is a very simple though powerful story. Salusbury World, based at Salusbury Primary School, North West London, has some great ideas for lessons using The Colour of Home to discuss refugees and support children's development of empathy. 

Refugee Week reads

(photo: Nana Varveropoulou, via www.refugeeweek.org.uk)

20th- 26th June is Refugee Week. Here are my suggestions for books to read with children, to help them understand why refugees seek asylum in other countries, and how difficult it must be to arrive in an alien country.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

Judith Kerr (of Mog and The Tiger Who Came To Tea fame) was born in Berlin. Her father was a writer and critic, highly critical of the Nazis. After his book was burnt the family was forced to escape from Germany, first to Swizerland, then to France, and finally to England, and this book is a fictionalised version of their journey. While "Anna" and "Max"s' parents are struggling to make a living after their comfortable life in Berlin, the children's concerns are with making friends, settling into new schools when they don't speak French or English, and the impermanent life of a refugee. The second and third books in the trilogy, Bombs on Aunt Daisy (previously entitled The Other Way Round) and A Small Person Far Away continue Anna's story, and outline the difficulty of family relationships where the children are forced to take charge of the parents, when their language skills and social contacts are greater than that of the adults.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

The story of a man who leaves his wife and children, and must create a new life for himself  in another country. Shaun Tan's story is told through distorted and mysterious illustrations show the alienating experience of immigration. There are problems in the old country (demonstrated by dragons overshadowing a city), but the new country is also strange and disorienting; there are odd creatures living in the Arrival's flat, the customs and language are strange. However, he learns from other immigrants, and is eventually reunited with his family. This is a rich and beautiful book, told through pictures, and would be a great book for an adult to share with young (6+) children, or for older children to share with each other to retell the story.

The Girl in Red and Pictures from the Fire by Gaye Hicyilmaz

These books are the story of Emilia and her family. Arriving in a housing estate, escaping from persecution in Romania, the family believe they are safe. Emilia goes to school, much to the joy of Frankie, who has a crush on her. But Portsmouth is not to be a safe haven for them; Frankie's mother starts a campaign against the Roma gypsies arriving in the estate, and tragedy ensues. Pictures in the Fire continues the story; a disturbingly claustrophobic tale that flits between Romania, England and the detention hostel where the family are living in an unnamed country and Emilia is obsessively drawing in a diary she has found with stolen crayons. Hicyilmaz is a wonderful writer; The Frozen Waterfall is a great read about economic migration and issues of belonging; I wish I had found it when I was teaching 10 and 11 year olds in North London as the Turkish children I taught did not see themselves and their experiences depicted in stories.

I urge anyone wanting to learn more about the recent history of immigration to London (Huguenots, Irish, Jews and the making of multicultural Britain) to visit 19 Princelet Street on one of its rare open days. It is an astonishing building that should be preserved.