The Garden of Inside-Outside by Chiara Mezzalama illustrated by Regis Lejonic translated by Sarah Ardizzone

"Why do people wage wars?' I used to ask her. 

'Sometimes, people grow mad - with anger, with hatred - they lose their grip on words 

and choose weapons instead. 
The truth is I don't know the answer to your question."

In 1979, the Shah of Iran was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution. On 4th November 1979 fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were taken hostage in their embassy. They were held there for 444 days. During this time the father of the author of this book was appointed Italy's ambassador to Iran. This story begins in the summer of 1981.

Inside the children have a place to play filled with flowers and insects and ponds and hiding places. Outside "gunfire, exploding bombs and cries drowned out every sound."

"The city had grown. So had the women and men. People queued for food. Everywhere there were soldiers with heavy boots and big beards, their riffles slung across their shoulders. The city-monster made us feel very frightened."

One day a little boy from outside finds a way to come inside their garden. The children do not share a language, but they do share their imaginations. They play a game of princes and princesses set in times past where people were free to play music and dance and enjoy beautiful things. After their game the little girl tries to give a gift to the boy, but he rejects her t-shirt and flees. He is gone for a long time but when he eventually returns he has a gift for the girl.

"It wasn't a gift. It was a swap."

With exquisitely detailed and evocative images recalling fairy tales and exploring Iran’s artistic heritage – fantasies and ideas about Iran swirling together with glimpsed experiences – this book offers an unusual and breathtaking perspective on conflict: it’s noisy and terrifying even from the safety of their diplomatic compound, so how must it feel out there on the street? This is also a story of childhood defiance and testing barriers. It’s a timely reminder to adults that while we put up barriers to keep our children safe, they still need space to rebel, to find their own freedom and privacy. But above all, it’s a book about the need for friendship, even when there is no common language. Chiara has her brother, but he’s not the same. Her agony is real when she worries she has scared Massoud off or insulted him by offering him a gift of her t-shirt to replace his torn one. She fears she won’t see him again. But he does brave the jump over the wall again, wearing her t-shirt, and he gives her something, a tiny cat carved out of wood. “It wasn’t a gift, it was a swap.” They couldn’t talk, they didn’t know each for long, but they had both entered each other’s lives and made a lasting impression. Book Island Instagram

The Garden of Inside-Outside was first published in French as Le jardin du dedans-dehors, Les Editions des Elephants, France, 2017. Here is some background reading for teachers.

More than a story of childhood fantasy, this book provides a powerful treatise on civil war and its impact on young lives, on both sides of any political conflict. It raises interesting philosophical thoughts for readers of all ages on the futility of war and the power of friendship to overcome political, cultural and physical barriers. IBBY.uk

With war and political division as widespread and relevant today, this is a touching story about breaching walls and bridging cultures. The kindness of childhood friendship contrasts with the brutality of adult conflict. Inside the physically imprisoning garden wall, the children establish trust, overcome misunderstanding and find freedom, while terror grips the city outside. The bright colours and black outlines of the illustrations capture effectively both the bloody, unyielding horrors of war and the vivid dream-world of the children as they explore the garden. Children's Books Ireland

You can see inside this book here. 

The publisher Book Island have some teachers resources which include:

• Introduction by the publisher (video) (She mentions the Book Island author interview but this is no longer available).
• Interview with the illustrator (video)
• Art class with the illustrator (PDF): draw your own marvellous garden in eight steps
• Drama activities (PDF), including suitcase stories and soundscapes
• Narration of the story
• Teaching notes written by Dr Ann Alston

Here is an interview with the illustrator Regis Lejonic with Library Mice.

I am not entirely sure about the audience for The Garden of Inside-Outside. I am going to suggest this is a picture book for older readers from Grades 5-8. You could most certainly use the illustrator video interview with a High School art group. See full size images from the book. I put graphic novel as a descriptor but this book is not exactly a graphic novel nor is it a conventional picture book. 

Régis Lejonc is a French illustrator, cartoonist, screen writer and author. He has illustrated over 60 books and was the first French illustrator to win the prestigious Prix Sorcières, the French Independent Booksellers’ Award twice in one year. 

Here are some other books about walls for older readers:

Suri's Wall

With older students you could used these novels as companion reads:

The wall between us

A Great escape

The Wall Between Us by Dan Smith

Anja and Monika are best friends. They live in Berlin and it only takes a few steps to cross the street to see each other ... until!  The year is 1961. It is August 13th.

1. How will I see Monika if there's barbed wire right along the middle of the road.

2. How will Otto get back home? (Papa says Ottos will be find. He says cats are cleverer than the devil and that they can find a way through anything.)

3. How will Uncle Konrad get to work?

4. What's going to happen now?

The answer to question four forms the content of this book. We read journal entries by Anja and letters from Monika although sadly these cannot be delivered.

"At midnight on 13th August, 1961, East German authorities built a barrier of barbed  wire and cinder blocks to stop their citizens from leaving. ... The Berlin wall was approximately 155 kilometres long and (it) was five metres high in some places. .... Approximately 200 people were killed trying to escape from East Berlin to West Berlin. At midnight on 9 November 1989, restrictions were ended and people were finally free to pass through the Berlin Wall."

Read an extract from the first chapter here. And here is a very detailed review with text quotes and images. 

This is a compulsive, nuanced and relevant tale, about an important period of recent European history.  Historical Novel society

From the beginning of the story, we are aware that Anja and Monika get arrested for their crimes. Each journal entry or letter is preceded by a Ministry for State Security case file note. These detail Anja and Monika’s arrest in the Autumn of 1961. What we are yet to discover is what the two get up to and how they get found out. Smith presents us with one great big jigsaw puzzle and piece by piece, we have to ascertain how the arrest will unfurl. Just Imagine

I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through this gripping first-hand account which relates the events between 13th August and 7th October - the date of Anja's arrest. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. It was published in 2023 by Chicken House in the UK. This publisher always deliver splendid books for middle grade readers. 

Bookseller blurb: A stunning, exciting story from acclaimed author Dan Smith - author of the Carnegie Medal-nominated Nisha's War. BERLIN 1961 Anja and Monika live opposite each other. They play together every day, with Otto the cat. One night they wake up to bangs and shouts. Soldiers are building a huge barbed wire fence between them. A terrible forever wall that gets longer and higher until it divides the whole city. On the East side, Monika is scared - neighbours are becoming spies and there are secret police everywhere. It's Anja who spots that Otto has found a way across. If he can visit Monika, then perhaps she can too. But Anja gets trapped and there's no safe way back . . .

I also enjoyed this book by Dan Smith:

She Wolf

Mo and Crow by Jo Kasch illustrated by Jonathan Bentley

Curmudgeonly Mo lives alone in a tiny wooden shack behind a huge stone wall. 

The wall "was stronger than wind. It was stronger than rain. It kept everything out he wanted kept out."

BUT of course we need a complication. Mo hears someone tapping on his wall. It is a huge black crow and he is trying to demolish Mo's wall. Mo is furious. He yells at the crow. He even throws a rock at the crow but the crow does not fly away. Mo retreats inside his home. When he steps outside, some time later, the crow is gone. Mo begins to rebuild his wall but as he steps up to the gap he finally sees the world outside his wall. He thinks about the crow. Mo calls out and crow returns. Perhaps Mo doesn't need his wall any more. 

Now "Mo lives with Crow and they like it this way."

The slightly absurdist plot of this book makes this story funny but there is also a deeper theme. Young readers are sure to wonder why the crow doesn’t just fly over the wall if he/she simply wants to make friends with Mo but perhaps Crow has a different motivation. Is the wall symbolic? Is Mo really happy living alone in his closed environment? Do hermits need company? The open ending where we see Mo looking out to the world beyond his little wooden house gives a sense of optimism and the possibility of further adventures with his new companion and this idea is reinforced by the end papers filled with stones at the beginning and blue skies at the end. 

Mo has such a huge beard but the illustrator has used this to great effect as a way to show the frustration of Mo as he tries to oust the pesky crow. The illustrations extend the text for example when Mo is in bed asleep, we can see a painting of his wife on the wall and she is carrying a backpack. In the past Mo must have led a more adventurous and hopefully happy life. The bright colours enhance the tone of this story especially the colour of the sky which becomes brighter as each page is turned symbolising hope for their shared future.

Hopefully you now have lots of questions - many of which can be answered by a very close examination of the illustrations in this book.

• Why does Mo live alone?
• Why does he shun any form of company?
• Is he afraid of meeting others?
• Is the wall keeping strangers out or locking Mo away?
• Why does crow persevere to make friends with Mo?
• What does this wall represent?
• How and why did Mo change over the course of the story?

More ideas can be found in the teachers notes on the publisher web site - Allen and Unwin. 

Mo and Crow is one of those perfect picture books that you can share with a young child and then explore in a much deeper way with a group of older students. Here is an interview with the author and Paperbark words.  You can see Jonathan Bentley's books here. 

Mo and Crow is a CBCA 2022 Notable book.

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a terrific Pinterest of picture books which feature walls - they could be used for a very interesting mini unit or theme in a classroom or library.

Here are some to use with Mo and Crow:

Littlelight

Little Mouse and the Red Wall

Use this one with older students - Upper Primary and High School

The way the crow helps Mo overcome his bad temper, helps him find a friend and helps him welcome someone into his life reminded me of the Bear and Mouse books by Bonnie Becker and the Badger book series by Moritz Petz and the Bear and Duck series by Suzanne Bloom and also the books about Bear and Duck by Jory John.

Littlelight by Kelly Canby

apoplectic

When you read this book to a group of children everyone will learn a new word: apoplectic. It means overcome with anger or furious. 

In this book we meet the people of Littlelight.  Lets think about that name - they don't live in the light - their town feels like the Dark Ages with no access to rich language, off beat music, and interesting books.  Littlelight is grey place surrounded by high walls. The Mayor loves his high walls because they give him power over his citizens. On the other side of these walls - north, south, east and west, there are people who enjoy delicious foods, they dance to their own music, the speak different languages and they read books! As the illustrations clearly show these other people have colour in their lives.

In the tradition of The Emperor's new Clothes, it takes the action of one small child to reveal the truth. One by one a small girl removes bricks from the high walls surrounding the town. Going back to the word apoplectic the Mayor is now very mad in fact he is furious. He seems to convince the town's people that the small girl has committed an horrendous crime. But then the people remember their delight as they discovered the different foods, music, words and stories. 

"The people of Littlelight looked around their town, now full of colour and light and wondered what, exactly, they were meant to be angry about."

They do still have a problem with their Mayor (read dictator) but the ingenious people of the town solve this issue in a most satisfying way.

'This little book packs some serious themes about keeping an open mind, staying connected, limiting elected authority, and the power of one person to make a positive difference.' Magpies

Kelly Canby lives in Western Australia. Here are a set of teaching notes to use with Littlelight. See inside the book here.  This is one of those wonderful picture books you could share with young children and then explore in an entirely different way with a senior Primary group. Think about themes of control; intellectual freedom; misuse of power; conflict resolution; and propaganda. You might also have some fun with fluro paints. 

You could compare this book with:

The Wall in the Middle of this Book

Little Mouse and the Red Wall

Suri's Wall - perfect for an older group

Tillie and the Wall

The King who Banned the Dark

The Book Tree

Here are two previous books by Kelly Canby:

Tillie and the Wall by Leo Lionni

Tillie is curious. The other mice just go about their daily lives and ignore the wall but Tillie, the youngest mouse, wonders what might be on the other side. She imagines there could be a fantastic world with strange animals and plants. Tillie is a problem solver. She asks the other mice to help her. They try climbing but they cannot reach the top. They try to walk to the end of the wall but it seems to have no end. Then one day Tillie sees a worm tunneling under the wall. This is the perfect solution. Tillie digs and digs until she reaches the other side. What a surprise. Living there are another group of mice just like her friends. Will they become friends or enemies? This is a fable so that might give you a clue.

Tillie and the wall was written in 1989 just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. I am pleased to have found another book about walls.  Recently I talked about The Wall in the Middle of the Book and Little Mouse and the Red Wall. I do think it would be fun to explore a mini unit about walls with your class.

Here is a teaching guide for Tillie and the Wall.

Look for other books by master story teller and illustrator Leo Lionni (1910-1999).

Image source: https://www.mylittlej.com/products/leo-lionni-collection-11-books

The Wall in the Middle of the book by Jon Agee

Walls are a controversial/timely topic right now.  

Here are some books about walls:

When I read the ReadItDaddy review of The Wall in the Middle of the Book I knew I wanted to see this quirky book for myself.

The wall in the middle of this book is supposed to protect one side of the book from the other side. Supposed to.

The wall is indeed in the middle of the book. A small knight with his or her ladder arrives to repair a fallen brick. The rhino and tiger on the other side of the wall look quite puzzled. The knight prepares to put the brick back in place while the animals on the other side try to solve the problem of this barrier. The knight is sure he or she is living on the safe side but an astute reader will notice, as the ladder is climbed, down below the water begins to rise. But it might be dangerous on the other side too when a little mouse arrives and frightens the rhino, tiger and gorilla away. Next to arrive, though, is an even more frightening creature, a huge ogre complete with war hammer. If only that little knight took a minute to look around and below. Danger is very close. Where can he turn?

I am looking forward to sharing this book with my Grade 2 reading group but I would also like to show it to some senior primary students and discuss their ideas. I highly recommend The Wall in the Middle of the book. The paperback edition of this book is due out on 1st April, 2019. (I love the idea of linking this book with April Fool's day!).  Having enjoyed this book so much I am very keen to see some other books by Jon Agee.

Here is the trailer - it is just perfect! The reviewer My Storytime Corner has a list of other titles that explore the idea of preconceived notions.  "I love children’s books that make us think about ourselves, the world, and how we see the world."

Here is an insightful interview with Jon Agee where he explains the creative processes behind his decisions for this book.

Read some reviews:

This book is perfect for your visual literacy discussions - read what Horn Book say:
This is a book whose strengths reveal themselves with every page-turn and needs careful attention from start to finish, as the book starts before the title page and important events occur in quick succession. Martha V Parravano

Beautifully symbolic of the divisiveness of our times, this book offers another possibility.  Maybe there are good guys and bad guys on both sides of the wall.  Just maybe there is someone on the other side who might save your life! A Book and a Hug

A wall separates the two sides of a book. But what happens when there is danger on the side that’s supposed to be “safe?” Kirkus Star review

Jon Agee has a knack of creating deceptively simple picture books which pack some punch and this book certainly delivers on all fronts. Picture Books Blogger

A Great Escape by Felice Arena

The setting for A Great Escape is Berlin during the cold war just as the wall is going up and East and West are divided. The story begins on the day of the division. Barbed wire is put up all over the city and citizens are no longer allowed to travel between the two parts of the city. Peter has been left behind with his grandparents while his parents and sister are now on the other side.

Peter's whole focus is now on escape. He tries asking at the checkpoint but he is chased away. He sees a young couple who try to escape over the wall at the back of a cemetery. The young girl makes it over but her fiance is captured. Peter knows he cannot escape this way.

Now Peter is even more determined to leave. At midnight he quietly leaves the house he shares with his Oma and invalid Opa. He thinks he can swim across to the West but just as he is about to jump in the river he sees another young man with the same idea. He watches in horror as this man is shot by police who have quickly arrived in a patrol boat.

Things are very quiet on the East side of the wall. So quiet Peter notices every movement. A flock of pigeons wheel overhead. Peter follows them to the roof of a building. This building straddles the wall with half in the east and half in the west and it is set to be demolished. The pigeons he saw are homing pigeons and they are in the care of Otto, an apprentice carpenter, who has been forced to work on building the wall. Otto has a plan to fly to the West but he needs materials so he makes a promise to Peter that he can fly too.

The aspect of this book that I really appreciated, oddly, was the selfishness of Peter. Early on we meet Oma and Opa and it is easy to see they are struggling. Opa can no longer talk and needs assistance with every aspect of daily life. Now that Peter's parents are gone how will these elderly people get enough money for food? Peter, surely has to take some responsibility to help them. He is so fixed on leaving he cannot see that he actually needs to stay.  I don't want to spoil the story but during the final scenes I did let out a huge sigh of relief.

A Great escape is the third book in a series by Felice Arena which focus on bravery and war time from the point of view of a young protagonist. The first was The Boy and and Spy set in Italy during WWII and the second Fearless Frederic set during the Paris floods of 1910.  I think A Great Escape is the best one so far. I highly recommend this book for all young history fans. It is easy to read (only 156 pages) and the pace of the action means you just gallop through the story just as Peter himself races around Berlin desperate to escape and desperate to avoid capture. I read this whole book in one sitting. Perfect for age 9+. I was lucky to have an advance copy from my local bookshop.  I read this book in January. This book will be published in early March 2019. I would follow A Great Escape with Oranges in No Man's Land by Elizabeth Laird and Honey Cake by Joan Betty Stuckner.

Little Mouse and the Red Wall by Britta Teckentrup

"There will be many walls in your life, Little Mouse. 

Some will be made by others but most will be made by you.  

But if you open your mind and your heart, those walls will

disappear one by one, and you'll discover how beautiful 

the world truly is."

Little Mouse and the Red Wall is one of those wonderful books that seems to take a very simple premise but presents it in a way that will encourage so much discussion and deep thought. I love picture books like this that work on so many levels - from the youngest children right up to our senior primary students.

Little Mouse is curious. It is true that the wall has always been there but he wants to know what lies beyond. Following a familiar format just like the one used in Are you my Mother by PD Eastman, the mouse asks each animal in turn,

Scaredy Cat
"The wall is there so nobody can come in ... it protects us ... it's dangerous on the other side."
Old Bear
"I don't remember ... the wall has been here for so long that it has become a part of me, a part of life."
Laughing Fox
"I don't care what's behind the wall ... you ask too many questions. Accept things the way they are and you'll be happy like me."
Lion Who had Lost his Roar
"There is nothing behind the wall, just a big black nothing."

Take a closer look at these responses. Cat is scared so his answer reflects his fears. Bear is old and has lost his memory. Fox lives for the here and now with happiness as his only life goal. Lion is defeated. His roar is gone. He is depressed. He can see no hope.

Luckily a Bluebird flies over the wall and mouse is small enough to climb onto his back and finally see the other side for himself. Readers will gasp on turning the page. The new scene is wonderful. Mouse now wants to share this with his friends but Bluebird cautions him "they may not be ready."

You could use this book with a younger child to discuss the answers by each animal. With older children you could discuss how these link to each character perhaps even talk about archetypes. You could also talk about the existence and non existence of the wall and what this means, the power of our thoughts/perceptions, facing our fears and even some themes of philosophy. Take another look at the text I quoted above.

Here is a set of teachers notes. Take a look at my comments about two other titles by Britta Teckentrup.  Britta has an impressive body of work which you can see here.

I would pair Little Mouse and the Red Wall with Suri's Wall.

Take a look at my reviews of some other wonderful picture books which would be perfect to use with senior students.

• The Thing
• Smoke
• The Big Question
• Mayfly Day

Despite the simplicity of her telling, Britta Teckentrup’s beautifully illustrated story is profound and would be an ideal starting point for a community of enquiry style philosophical discussion ... its timely themes of discovering freedom and embracing change, both personal and in the world, will resonate with both children and adults. Red Reading Hub

Suri's wall by Lucy Estela illustrated by Matt Ottley

The poignancy of this story comes from phrases such as

"The wall was Suri's only friend"

"She watched the other children playing in the courtyard.  

She was different to them."

"Her heart ached to join them."

"For a while Suri let herself cry."

One day Suri discovers she is now tall enough to look over the wall.  A little child asks Suri what she can see.  At this point in the book I am sure your students will gasp but I suggest you stop and ask for ideas from the class before turning the page. One thing to notice is the way Matt Ottley beautifully changes the colour palette as Suri describes the scene she 'sees'.

Read more about Matt Ottley.  Here is a comprehensive set of teaching notes with questions for each page of the book.  If you have a subscription you can view this book on The Storybox Library.

Take some time to read the author web site and view the video of her book launch which explores the idea of walls.  Here is a detailed review.

Suri's Wall is a title from our CBCA 2016 Notables list. I am certain it will be among the six short listed titles which will be announced in May.

This book would be a useful addition to an ethics class.  It raises questions about truth versus deception.  You might also like to compare Suri's wall with Journey by Aaron Becker.

Espousing the importance of hope in the face of destruction and dislocation, this is very much a tale for our time. Estela's haunting text, with its folktale cadences, examines the gulf between reality and imagination, despair and hope, 

and the ultimate resilience of the human spirit.