The Bicycle: How an Act of Kindness Changed a Young Refugee's Life
by Patricia McCormick (Author) Yas Imamura (Illustrator)
The true story of how a simple act of kindness changed a young refugee's life--from award-winning author Patricia McCormick with Mevan Babakar.
For generations, Mevan and her family lived in their beloved Kurdistan. But when they are forced to flee by the Iraqi government, Mevan must leave everything behind. Her family travels from country to country in search of safety; and with each stop, Mevan feels more and more alone. Until . . . a stranger's gift changes everything.
Based on Mevan Babakar's own childhood, this is a moving reminder of how powerful just one act of kindness can be.
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Publishers Weekly
Collaborating with McCormick (Sergeant Reckless), Kurdistan-born debut author Babakar tells a story based on her own experience as a child refugee. During young Mevan's early life, "figs fell from the trees and the air smelled like honeysuckle" in Kurdistan, "a lush and hilly corner in the north of Iraq." Though she is the littlest girl in her extended family, "the love all around her made her feel ten feet tall." Then the ruler of Iraq sends soldiers and helicopters to force the people in Kurdistan away and into the mountains. Escaping in a van to Turkey, then by plane to Azerbaijan and by train to Russia, Mevan makes herself successively smaller and even wishes to become invisible. Only in the Netherlands, where the family moves two years later, does she feel welcomed, but she still makes herself small--until she's given the titular object in an act that makes her feel "a hundred feet tall." Gouache, watercolor, and crayon illustrations from Imamura (Love in the Library) capture the dappled light of Mevan's pastoral family home in Kurdistan against other landscapes' stark geometry and the feeling of possibility represented by the bicycle in this hopeful personal telling. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An epilogue and author's note conclude. Ages 4-8. (May)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Hornbook
Review quotes
Praise for SERGEANT RECKLESS: ★ Vividly brings to life the story of Sergeant Reckless, the only animal to officially hold military rank in the United States. This endearing story of wartime camaraderie won't soon be forgotten. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ A rousing success. An engaging slice of history. — Booklist (starred review)
[An] intriguing historical tale of an underdog. A warm human (and horse) interest story that feels fresh off a newsreel. — Kirkus Reviews
Excellent. This well-illustrated war story will appeal to many, especially fans of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse. A strong selection. — School Library Journal
A lively look at wartime animal heroism. — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
JNF053070 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Homelessness & Poverty
