Ayah and the Big World Outside

Gr 1-4–Ayah dreams of a day when she is free. Free from war. Free from the refugee camp she lives in. Free to go all over the world, like the swallows who visit her home. For a moment, she experiences true freedom as she imagines flying on the back of a swallow to places without war where people do not watch the sky for bombs. This story shows the reality of life in a refugee camp, told in a way that children can understand and process. Told through the love between Ayah and her mother and conveyed from sparrow’s-eye view, this story shows the humanity of people while embracing the reality of a stark situation. Authors Sedivy (born in Czechoslovakia and now living in the U.S.) and Shehab (a Palestinian born in a refugee camp in Syria and now living in Canada) thoughtfully portray displacement for a young audience, accompanied by Lohia’s beautiful illustrations, in a combination of watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil, with digital touches. These images add softness and vibrancy to a place and situation that could feel lonely and bleak.