I Have the Right by Reza Dalvand

"This book is particularly important to me because it carries the voice of children 

and makes their rights known. It is a tribute to all the children of the world, 

without distinction of language, ethnicity or religion"

I have the Right was originally published in French with the title; J'ai le droit. The author/illustrator blurb says: I have the right to have a name, a nationality, an identity. I have the right to be treated and protected from illness. I have the right to go to school. I have the right to have a roof over my head. I have the right to be protected from racism, the right not to be excluded because of my skin color or nationality. I have the right not to be rejected because of my religion, my family. I have the right to be surrounded, to have a family. And I have the right to be loved.

When you open this book the end papers are filled with the rights in multiple languages handwritten by children. My favourite pages are "I have the right to nutritious foods" where we see a huge table with males on every shape and size of plate you might imagine. On the page "I have a right to a home where I can thrive" we see a parent reading a book to a child - a power image that you could use for a poster or in a parent newsletter. And as you would expect the page "I have the right not to be forced to fight wars" has an image that is sure to linger with you long after you close the pages of this book.

In a previous post I explored work by internationally acclaimed Iranan illustrator Reza Dalvand. 

Mrs Bibi's Elephant

What could that be?

If I was still working in my school library, I would be tempted to create a permanent display of non-fiction books which focus on the UN Rights of the Child. These books are important and as a bonus they usually have scrumptious illustrations.

I discovered this book (I Have the Right) because I spent a little time last week looking through three of our Australian Standing Order services - Scholastic (Australian Standing Orders ASO); Pegi Williams (South Australia); and Lamont Books.

Here are some other favourite Rights of the Child books:

I've made a list of Australian and International Picture books released in 2023 that I would now like to read:

• Remarkable Remy by Melanie Hayworth illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom
• Cloudspotting by Samantha Tidy illustrated by Susannah Crispe
• Satin by Sophie Masson - previously mentioned here
• Little Treasure by Chanelle Gosper illustrated by Susannah Goldsmith
• The Useless Tune by Chris Uhlmann illustrated by Paul Uhlmann
• The World's greatest Tackle by Bruce Walker illustrated by Nettie Lodge
• Mizuto and the wind by Kaye Baillie illustrated by Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki
• Sunday Skating by Andrea Rowe illustrated by Hannah Sommerville
• Alice's Shoe by Julie Thorndyke illustrated by Jennifer Harrison
• The day the moon came to stay by Gary Eck illustrated by Nick O'Sullivan
• Every night at midnight by Peter Cheong
• Nightsong by Sally Soweol Han
• Raised by Moths by Charlie Archbold illustrated by Michelle Conn
• The New kid by Jennifer Bain illustrated by Deborah Brown
• The Kiss by Polly Dunbar
• Gigantic by Bob Biddulph
• That's Nice, Love by Owen Gent
• Henry and the Machine Isabelle Marinov illustrated by Olga Shtonda
• Salat in Secret by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow illustrated by Hatem Aly
• Anchored by Deborah Tidball illustrated by Arielle Li
• The Lucky Shack Apsara Baldovino illustrated by Jennifer Falkner
• When You're a boy by Blake Nuto
• The Little Things by Penny Harrison illustrated by Hannah Sommerville
• Downtown Sewertown by Tull Suwannakit
• Freckle by Catherine Jinks illustrated by Jennifer Goldsmith
• Blue by Sarah Christou

And here are a few middle grade novels:

• The Lost language by Claudia Mills
• Huda was here by H Hayek
• Indigo in the storm by Kate Gordon
• Temora and the Wordsnatcher by Kate Gordon and sequel Tamora and the Dreamers
• Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan 
• When clouds touch us (Verse novel might be YA).

We are Australians by Duncan Smith and Nicole Godwin illustrated by Jandamarra Cadd

The vivid cover illustration of a young face invites the reader to look closely at this book, to read it carefully and to think about the words WE are Australians. This book does not contain a message of “them and us” it is about our shared responsibilities and the importance of cultural understanding and harmony. The straightforward and at times spare text, is powerful, poetic, resoundingly positive and so poignant. The page turns are carefully paced. Many of the images and words will lead to deeper discussions with students. The text celebrates the rich heritage of First Nations people, and it also celebrates many newer citizens who have chosen to come to Australia. This book could be shared with many ages of students from younger children right up to high school. We are Australians should be added to every school library collection.

Some of the images in this book just made me gasp! The plastic trinkets shown on palms takes the words “we have responsibilities” to a whole new level. The photo realistic illustration of the boy being painted is invested with enormous emotion. This comes from the way the boy’s eyes are looking up towards the man. 

The cover is so appealing and the way the eyes look directly at the reader is both challenging and inviting. The white text on black adds to the gravitas of the message and the sans serif font and font size were a very good choices. Another standout page is the one filled with legs and feet showing different skin shades. 

This could be the 'right' book to share this week with any of your family or friends are undecided about The Voice Referendum - voting will take place this week on Saturday 14th October, 2023. 

Publisher blurb: For those born in Australia, it’s easy to take citizenship and its responsibilities for granted. But there is much more to being an Australian citizen than having a passport and the right to vote. We Are Australians encourages reflection and for readers to look further into the topics of citizenship and the role of Australia’s First Nations people. The poetic writing style creates a rich and respectful text, and the bright colours add a joyfulness and a sense of celebration. The use of traditional First Nations techniques reinforces the longevity and importance of a culture that has lived on Australian land for over 65,000 years.

From cover to cover, I was inspired by both word and imagery to reflect, to be more thoughtful, committed, and compassionate as an Australian citizen and think about my responsibilities to other Australians and to the land itself. Reading Time

The publisher Wild Dog have prepared some teaching notes. We are Australians was short listed for the 2023 Children's Book Council of Australia New Illustrator award. 

Here is the trailer:

Jandamarra Cadd is an Aboriginal (Yorta Yorta) man who was introduced to the paintbrush at age 15 after a troubled childhood growing up as an outsider in his own land. Painting became an outlet to transform his pain and trauma, and a visual voice for the oppressed. Twenty-seven years later he is a pioneer in portraiture, with his unique blend of traditional Aboriginal art techniques and inventive, contemporary application. Art Gallery of NSW

Here is the newest book by this team:

Listen encourages the reader to reflect on the importance of listening and truth-telling in response to Australia's complex history. The poetic writing style creates a rich and respectful text, and the bright colours inject a sense of joy into a text that explores what is often a painful history. The use of traditional First Nations techniques reinforces the longevity and importance of a culture that has lived on Australian land for over 65,000 years.

Everybody! by Elise Gravel

When discussing picture books it is important to understand that while the best examples of this form do, of course, contain text and pictures the real magic comes from the way these two are combined - especially when the illustrations take the reader way beyond the text. In the best books the relationship between text and illustrations is a symbiotic one. The illustrations depend on the text and the text is enriched by the illustrations.  

In Everybody the text when viewed in isolation does contain deep ideas expressed in a simple way:

"Everybody is unique and different. But we are more similar than we think. Everybody has fears. Everybody has moments of joy and moments of sadness. Everybody makes mistakes and everybody can learn from them."

But when you open this book each page is filled with humour and pathos. 

The book serves to reassure children they are not alone and that what they might be experiencing is widely shared by others or rather, EVERYBODY. As well, an important element of Everybody!, while not overt, is reinforcing in children the need to respect others. From the opening page to the end, the book is uplifting, cheerful, and encouraging, but the subject matter has a serious intent. Canadian Review of Materials

Who is everybody? Elise Gravel gives her readers a huge range of the every bodies. Different sizes, shapes, colours and personalities. You can see some of them on the front cover above and in this illustration: 

Image Source: Scholastic Canada 

I dare you to share the book trailer for Everybody with your library group - it is very funny (and slightly rude). One of my favourite pages is when we see one of the characters reading a book (on the toilet) and then we discover it's a real book also by Elise Gravel:

The two covers above are the editions available here in Australia (top) and the US edition. 

 I do hope you are familiar with the unique and brilliant work of Canadian illustrator Elise Gravel. I highly recommend adding some of her books to your library or home book collection and you could also look for books by Elise Gravel in your local library. Read more about Elise here. 

Here is my post about The Worm

This is a new book due out later this year

These are some Board Books by Elise Gravel

Walking to the Bus-Rider blues by Harriette Gillem Robinet

Alfa is only twelve years old but he carries a lot of weight on his young shoulders. Each month the family, his sister and Great Grandmother, have to find fifty dollars for their rent. They live in a two room hut with no electricity and no running water.

His great Grandmother, Mama Merryfield, makes around ten dollars a week cleaning houses or sometimes only six or seven if "the white ladies were mean." Alfa works in a grocery story filling shelves, cleaning and stacking vegetables. He makes about five dollars every two weeks and older sister Zinnia makes about the same. "So our total family income was about sixty dollars a month, and we paid fifty dollars in rent."

But things are going wrong. Each month money disappears from their hiding place. This month they are ten dollars short for the rent. Then when all three are working at a cleaning job, the home owner accuses them of stealing over $2000 from the kitchen. Alfa, Zinnia and Mama Merryfield are African American and this is Alabama. They are considered guilty automatically. 

While all of this is happening every one is walking. It is the time of the bus boycott. Now Alfa needs to prove his family are innocent, he needs to find the thief and he desperately needs to find the extra ten dollars for their rent. His fears about eviction and homelessness are heart breaking.

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this writing and an idea about life during these times:

"I saw a police car slow down as it drove by. The policeman tilted his head, staring at my bloodied face looking up at him. He rode on. The white boys kept kicking me. If I had struck one of them while the policeman was watching, I would have been arrested and beaten at the police station."

"The Montgomery bus system was bad. We didn't blame the company or the drivers; we blamed the System. The System made you pay up front, then get off the front of the bus and enter in the back door. Sometimes before you reached the back door, the driver would drive off with your dime or nickel."

"I had heard that white police were arresting coloured drivers right and left for going to slow, for going to fast, stopping their cars, starting their cars. The fines were costly, yet the drivers kept rolling."

Publisher blurb: During the Alabama bus boycott, six months after Rosa Parks made her famous bus protest, Alfa Merryfield and his family struggle to pay the rent. But someone keeps stealing their rent money -- and now someone is accusing them of stealing! With only a few days left before rent is due, Alfa and his sister, Zinnia, know they don't have much time. To solve this mystery, they must "walk the walk and talk the talk of nonviolence" that Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders preach -- and what they discover may be more than they dreamed... 

This book from 2000 is now sadly out of print but if you can find a copy and if you work in a school library read chapter 19. It describes a terrible scene where Alfa tries to use the city library.

With my city in lockdown I am rereading some books from my own shelves. I had a copy of Walking to the Bus-rider blues in my previous library and I was happy to spot this copy for just $1 at a charity book sale. Read more about Harriette Gillem Robinet here. 

I love talking to students about Rosa Parks. Even though I am in Australia, I am able to incorporate this into our Grade 5 topic on Democracy. In this unit we talk about gaining the vote (suffragettes) and legal and illegal ways of protesting. Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus and so for 371 the African American people and other citizens of Montgomery Alabama walked everywhere. It was a peaceful and very powerful protest.  They walked to work, to church, to visit friends, to shop and to the doctor. They walked in the summer heat, the winter cold and in the rain and through thunder storms. I read these three books here in Australia to my students:

I am listing this book for older primary students aged 11+ because I think readers need some maturity to understand the dreadful racism which is described here.

Social issues, civil-rights history, adventure, and mystery are all skillfully combined in this gripping story of 12-year-old Alfa Merryfield, his sister Zinnia, and their great-grandmother Lydia. Setting her story in Montgomery, Alabama, during the summer of 1956, when the bus boycott precipitated by Rosa Parks is already six months old and racial tensions are high, Robinet has created richly delineated characters and conveyed a strong sense of time and place from the perspective of two African-American children who are deeply involved in it all. Kirkus Star review

Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan

Koly is thirteen. Koly lives in India. Her family are very poor and it is difficult to feed everyone. Even though she is only thirteen her mother (Maa) and her father (Baap) decide it's time for her to be married. They find a boy aged sixteen who will marry her but his family are demanding a large dowry. The family sell all their precious things.  Koly is taken to a village far from her home and on the wedding day she briefly meets her new husband. 

The marriage is a deception. Hari is desperately ill. His parents, who Koly calls sass (mother in-law) and sassur (father in-law) have set up the marriage so they can obtain money from the dowry. They plan to use to take Hari the sacred Ganges River. They hope bathing in the river will heal their son.

Hari has tuberculosis. He does not recover and now Koly is a widow which in India means she has no status and no chance of another marriage. She becomes a slave in the household of her inlaws. Hari's sister Chandra is soon married and moves away. Mr Mehtas dies and so now Koly must endure unkindness and even cruelty that is dished out each day by Sass. After two years of this dreadful existence Mrs Mehtas announces they are moving to Delhi. On the way the train stops in Vrindavan - the city of widows. Koly is betrayed, Sass abandons her. Now she must survive with no money, no friends, and no where to go. Luckily Koly is a resourceful girl and she has skills. She can read and she is very skilled at embroidery. It is these things along with the kindness of strangers and meeting one very special friend that mean this book does contain that all important happy ending.

Homeless Bird is a rich exploration of a different culture. There is an extensive glossary in the back of the book but Gloria Whelan weaves Hindi words so skilfully into the story that I had no need to refer to this. Here are some quotes to give you a flavour of this writing:

"Maa got me up so early ... We went to the courtyard well and drew water to wash my hair. Maa oiled and braided it. She dusted my face with golden turmeric powder, and with a paste of sandalwood and vermilion painted the red tikka mark on my forehead. My eyes were outlined with kohl. My lips and cheeks were rouged. The kautuka, a yellow woolen bridal thread, was fastened around my wrist."

"Even with my bedroll to soften the stone of the doorway, I could not sleep."

"I tried everywhere to find work, but for every job there were a hundred seekers. For a week the doorstep was my home."

"Along the borders of the rich lady's sari were embroidered flurries of blossoms in pale yellows and pinks twined with green leaves. I could not take my eyes from the clever work."

"As I thought of the river, I remembered the heron. I began to stitch its long neck and its head with its sharp beak. I stitched the long danging legs and the great wings. I forgot where I was. ... 'This is what I want (said Mr Das); it is your heron. It has flown right out of your head, and more important, out of your heart."

Homeless bird was published in 2000 but I am happy to report it is still in print. I was lucky to find a sale copy in a local bookshop. Gloria Whelan and I almost share a birthday and she is the author of a very impressive body of work.

I would pair Homeless Bird with Amal Unbound.

I thought I knew the name Gloria Whelan. I now discover she is the author of two (very old) titles from the Stepping Stones series published by Random House. Next Spring an Oriole and Shadow of the Wolf. I read both of these junior novels many years ago.

Christophe's Story by Nicki Cornwell

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

… a sensitive book which, in addition to tackling a delicatesubject, has the added responsibility of making it accessible to primary school readers. Books for Keeps

By having Christophe speak with chilling simplicity directly to his classmates—and to the reader—Cornwell is able to convey the horror without the distance of an outside voice. It’s a powerful indictment of the savagery of war and its effect on those caught in its path.But there’s also a catharsis in the telling and a glimmer of hope for the future. Kirkus

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:

Oranges in No Mans Land

Secret Friends

Lawn Boy

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf

"Refugee children have been forced to run away - because bad people have made it impossible for them to stay. Those bad people drop bombs on their houses and destroy all the beautiful parts of their cities. And the places where the refugees used to live have become so horrible and so scary that they can't live in them any more."

As a way to prepare for reading The Boy at the Back of the Class I recommend you read  The Colour of Home.

A new boy arrives in our narrator's class.  The kids discover Ahmet is a refugee from Syria.  Mum explains a refugee is someone who has had to leave their own country because of dangerous bullies. That sounds so unfair and now so many questions need answers:

My 11 questions (from the narrator)

1. Where did you have to run away from?
2. What language do you speak?
3. Who's the woman in the red scarf?
4. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
5. What did the bullies do to make you run away?
6. Did you get on a boat like the people on the news?
7. What sports do you like best?
8. What's you favourite fruit?
9. How far did you have to walk to get away from the bullies?
10. Do you like it here or do you miss your old home more?
11. Do you have a best friend?

Some answers come easily but other answers are heart-wrenching.

The group of three friends decide they have to help Ahmet especially when they discover the border gates are closing in the UK at the end of the week. They are desperate to reunite Ahmet with his parents who may be now in France but who can they turn to? The Prime minister? The chief of the High Court? The media? What about asking the Queen?

Full of innocence and hope, humour and determination, this book reflects how children view and feel about the Refugee situation. Kids BookReview

Through their sensitivity, curiosity, ingenuity, bravery and innocent niceness, they make a massive impact on Ahmet’s life, friends, class,school, community and wider world. Book Trust

A story about friendship, kindness, and adventure that is centered within the refugee crisis. Kirkus

Listen to the author reading from her book from Chapter 8 then find the book and read the whole chapter. I am sure you will never look at a pomegranate in quite the same way ever again.

Here is a big shout out to the librarian in this story - Mrs Finnicky (what a great name).

"I like Mrs Finnicky because she always gets excited when you ask her anything. She tells people off for not looking after their books properly, just like Mum. She has a large sign on the counter that says: 'Books are like people. Look past their covers, and they'll take you on a Great Adventure!"

I am not a huge fan of books which use the technique of the naive protagonist but in this book it created just the right tone, authenticity and emotional impact. I read this whole book in one sitting and by the end I was in tears along with all the teachers. This book reminded me of Two weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman.  Here are three cover designs (original, recent and one from the UK edition). You can see 18 other covers on the Morris Gleitzman web page.

I won't say why (perhaps you can guess) but this book also reminded me of this classic:

I would follow or pair The Boy at the Back of the Class with Welcome to Planet Omar.