Alone: The Journeys of Three Young Refugees

Adapting documentary film Seuls into an engrossing book for young readers, debut author Tom—who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand—follows three unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Canada after fleeing their respective homelands. In each chapter, tight first-person narration alternates between the book’s subjects, following second-person lines directed at readers (“Imagine that you’re going away”). In Tehran, the parents of 13-year-old Afshin fear he’ll be killed in the Iranian wars; when they send him away to keep him alive, he looks forward to the journey without realizing its long-term implications. In Burundi, 13-year-old Alain, the son of a political prisoner, escapes with his mother and brothers to Kenya, where a two-year delay and a tragic event leave the boys in limbo. For Patricia, a queer 16-year-old in Uganda, “if other people find out... it means prison and persecution for our family and even worse,” but leaving means losing “the enveloping weight” of her mother’s love. Baillairgé’s digital illustrations employ a limited palette that reflects the flags of Burundi, Kenya, and Iran, and a stylized, minimalist approach hones three complex story lines down to a sharply rendered tale whose chapters trace experiences of “Leaving Everything Behind” through the subjects’ developing “Hope for Tomorrow.” A glossary concludes. Ages 8–12. (May)