Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadan

"In my mind I did this book for Syrian kids ... but when I read it here in the UK it was an amazing experience ... children are curious about what's going on ... they empathise in a beautiful way." Nadine Kaadine

"The whole idea of the book (is) how do you go out of your dark space. How do you deal with what's going on around you? ... You can do drawing and painting.  And tomorrow will be better." Nadine Kaadine

Yazan wants to play outside. He wants to go to the park. He wants to ride his bike. He wants his mum and dad to spend time with him. He wants things to back back to the way they were before.

"Now the minute (his mum) woke up she would watch the news with the volume turned up so loud."

Yazan tries to keep busy with drawing and the construction of a pillow castle but looking at his red bike his need to get outside becomes quite desperate. 

"He knew his mother would be angry if he left without her permission."

Yazan steps outside but everything is different. There are no other children playing on the street, the food vendors are gone. Yazan does not know where to go or what to do. Then his father arrives and takes him back inside. No one is cross. His mother picks up her paintbrushes and paints and the pair head into Yazan's room where she paints the park of his dreams. For now it is not safe to go outside but there is a sense of hope that one day, perhaps even tomorrow, that might change.

Tomorrow was originally written in Arabic. Lantana, the publisher do not list a translator so I am assuming that since Nadine now lives in London she may have done the translation herself. I purchased this book as part of my preparation for a library conference on the topic International Picture books. The organisers have asked me to focus on books for students aged 10-14. 

The war in Syria is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today. As of March 2020, nearly 600 thousand people have been killed or are missing as a result of the war. More than 2 million people have been injured and now live with permanent disabilities. 

More than 6.7 million people have had to leave their homes due to violence, but remain in Syria and are known as internally displaced persons. Another 6.6 million people have had to leave Syria, becoming refugees. Together, that’s more than 13.5 million people who have fled their homes. That number is more than half of Syria’s pre-war population. Since the war started, more than 1 million Syrian children have been born in neighbouring countries as refugees. Kidsboostimmunity

Tomorrow is a book you could share with a group of younger children aged 7+ but I think it could also be used as a discussion starter with an older group. You might like to use this video as a way to help your students understand a little more about the impact of the war in Syria and how it has affected the children. 

Kaadan crafts a happy ending within an active war context, no easy feat ... Kirkus

Yazan used to go to the park, he used to ride his bike, he used to paint pictures with his mother but things have changed; now his mother watches the television news with the sound turned up loud and his father makes lots of phone calls.  Simple, stark, gloomy and dark watercolor and pencil illustrations show Yazan’s empty world where he is not even allowed to go outside.  It is not safe.  There is a war on.  This is Syria and it is the present day.  As the author tells us, many Syrian children are living a life like Yazan’s, waiting and hoping for a better, happier tomorrow. Youth Services Book reviews

This story is unique in a number of ways. Instead of focusing on people fleeing their country it focuses on the experience of a boy in his home as it is besieged by war. Reading Pebbles

A book which promotes empathy and gives children a space to ask questions about the more frightening things in the world. Book Murmurmation

In this video Nadine talks about the impact of the war in Syria on her work. You can see Nadine's other books here on her website. Only two are available in English - Tomorrow and The Jasmine Sneeze.  Nadine was born in Syria but moved to the UK in 2012 when the war began. You can read more about this experience here.  In this interview, Nadine talks about the importance of book translation and the implications for publishers. You can hear Nadine read he book in Arabic and then English on this video (I suggest you begin around the 19 minute mark). 

Companion reads:

Azzi in Between

The Colour of Home

Vanishing Colors

If you are working with a group of older students you might introduce them to these middle grade novels about the war in Syria:

No Ballet Shoes in Syria

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

A House without Walls