Christophe is only eight but in his short life he has experienced distressing and utterly terrible things, things a child his age should never have to see or feel. Living in Rwanda he watched as the streets filled with soldiers and guns, he sees his father taken into custody and later, as the family flee, Christophe himself is shot. The bullet grazes his skin and injures him but, even more distressing, another bullet kills his baby brother. After a long and terrible journey the family finally arrive in England. Christophe has limited English and he has missed two years of school.
Adding to his struggles Christophe has been told about the importance of stories by his grandfather:
"A story should be kept in the head and told from the mouth! That's what Babi says. and he knows about stories. He's a storyteller ... This is how you tell a story like this! You have the story in your head, and when you tell it, you use a big voice or a little voice. And you tell it with your hands, like this! And when you finish, the story flies back into your head. Like a bird going back to its nest!"
When the teacher tries to read stories to Christophe, when she asks Christophe to read stories, and when she tries to get him to write stories, Christophe is filled with fear, grief and confusion. School is torture for Christophe and it is made worse by the class bully. In one scene this boy, called Jeremy, drops a live worm into Christophe's plate of lunch spaghetti. The whole scene made me shudder.
Luckily Christophe has a kind teacher. She gives Christophe time and space to tell his story and gradually she shows him that nothing is lost if a story is indeed written down and in fact this is an important way to share his story with children Christophe himself might never actually meet.
Nicki Cornwell has some teacher notes on her web site. Have you read The Colour of Home. If not find it NOW and read it before you pick up Christophe's story.
Christophe's story was first published in 2006. I have read reviews which question the suitability of this book for children but I think over the last 14 years our exposure to the plight of refugees has greatly increased and in Australia and other countries there are huge numbers of picture books and Primary level novels for young readers which explore all aspects of the refugee experience. Some reviewers list this book for children aged 8-14 but I would suggest it is better suited to older students 10+.
"In writing stories about asylum-seekers and refugees, I hope
to find a wide audience for their voices. I try to depict the heroic courage
with which they face events over which they have little control. I try to show
their moral strength, their courage and their heroism. They are individuals
caught up in a web of other people's attitudes and the choices that governments
make. We cannot change what has happened to make them flee from their
countries, but we can try not to add to their problems by stigmatizing them for
seeking asylum." Nicki Cornwell
There is a second book which continues the story of Christophe (I have added it to my to read list but sadly it is out of print.)
For older students I would suggest another book about the power of storytelling:
Books do not need to be long to be "good". I love the fact that this powerful and emotional story is told in just 72 pages. Here are some other short books for senior primary readers:
