Finding Hope, by Marie-Louise Jensen. Reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

Title: Finding Hope
Author: Marie-Louise Jensen
Publisher Fiction Express

Jake, an only boy, lives an idyllic life in the UK. His main passion in life is horse riding and he is looking forward to riding Thunder, his trusted horse, at the next showjumping event.

But when Jake's parents adopt a refugee called Faly, he finds that having a new sister is probably more than a cool kid can handle. Faly speaks no English. In fact she doesn't speak at all. Jake is resentful that he now has to share his parents' attention with a newcomer and that the new arrival is eating into his training time for the imminent showjumping event.  But gradually Jake and Faly bond and when it seems that the refugee has been kidnapped by two men in a black van, Jake proves to be a real hero and brother.

The 'hope' of the title is the name given to a rescued horse that is taken in by the stables where Jake trains. The horse's story mirrors that of Faly, who must start seeing hope in what she considers a desperate situation.

Originally written for the Fiction Express platform, this is a fast-paced story that deals with the topic of migrants in a sensitive but entertaining away. Told from the two points of view - Faly and Jakes's - it really lets you in on what the main characters are thinking and feeling. Faly's story includes her nightmare journey across the Sahara desert and the loss of her parents in the Med.  Jake's journey towards accepting his new sister is no less interesting. Absorbing stuff!

Saviour Pirotta's latest books are the Ancient Greek Mysteries series from Bloomsbury. Pirates of Poseidon is out now. Follow him on twitter @spirotta.








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Leaf, written and illustrated by Sandra Dieckmann, reviewed by Sarah Hammond

“Crow saw it first. The strange white creature carried upon the dark waves towards the shore.”  

This picture book opens with the unexpected arrival of a polar bear, who is mistrusted by the animals of the wild wood. They do not understand him. They are scared of him. The creature behaves in unusual ways, collecting leaves from all over their wood. What should they do? 

The premise is deceptively simple but brings with it deeper questions. How do we treat those who move into our home, who are different, who do not behave as we do? The animals gather to discuss the creature every day ‘although no one was brave enough to talk to him.’ Because of his fondness for leaves, and also because the animals want him to leave, they name the creature Leaf. 

This is reminiscent of another book, also published in 2017: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. Based on similar themes, the word ‘LEAVE’ is inscribed into the trunk of the Wishtree when a Muslim family moves into the neighbourhood. We are invited in both books to consider our reaction to ‘otherness’. 

One day, Leaf bursts through the trees covered in the leaves he has collected, and jumps off the edge of a hill, falling into a lake. It is the crows, in the illustrations, who follow Leaf back to his cave. If the reader looks closely, he will see that illustrator is showing us, with the lightest of touches, that the bear is crying. 

The animals meet again. Now what should they do? Their attitudes are changing. The crows have sympathy for Leaf but the other animals still fear him. Nothing is agreed so nothing is decided. 

Again, Leaf runs through the woods covered in leaves. Now he is more desperate, jumping over the cliff and into the sea. Finally, the crows take action: it is time to hear Leaf's story. 

For the third and final time, all animals meet. They approach the bear. This time they all listen. At last they understand. 

The bear had ‘drifted over from far across the sea, where the ice was melting.’ He had been launching himself into the air, covered in leaves, trying to fly home.  

Here is our second theme: climate change. The initial illustration of the sad polar bear, arriving on a too-small piece of ice, has striking resemblances to the widely circulated photos of these creatures as their habitat disappears. 

The animals now want to help Leaf to find his way home. Having learned the importance of listening to his story, this becomes part of their solution. After all, a story is a powerful thing. 

Although the two themes — of displaced characters, of climate change —  are timely, the book seems timeless. Sandra Dieckmann’s illustrative style is dreamy, evoking the mood of fairy tales. She uses a refined color palette which complements the subject matter, and her combination of intricate techniques play with space and keep the eye moving around the page. Notably, Dieckmann uses more volume and lifelike details for the animals, changing point of view as the story progresses. In the distance, we often find the repeated outlines of faraway mountains, suggesting that beyond the wild wood is a bigger world. 

The quote at the front of the book is significant: ‘Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told to me in my childhood than in the truth that is taught in life.’ — Friedrich Schiller. 

www.sarahhammond.org

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I AM DAVID by Anne Holm (transalted from the Danish by L.W.Kingsland): Review by Pauline Francis

I’ve been flirting with lots of fun end-of-summer books to use for this review, but as the constant images of mass migrations caught and held my attention, I was desperate to re-read this wonderful and compassionate modern classic, which has been one of my favourite children’s books for years – and one of the novels that made me want to become a writer.

Although this novel was first published in England in translation, in 1965, it has never been out of print and is widely used by Years 6 & 7 in schools.

I am David tells the fictitious story of a young boy, aged nine or ten, who escapes from a concentration camp somewhere in Eastern Europe to find his way back to his family in Denmark. He travels alone, with a bundle of possessions: a pocket knife, a compass, a bottle of water, a large loaf of bread and a box of matches.

Having known no other life but the camp, David knows nothing of the world outside its wire fence. He must learn about good and evil. He must learn about trust. David’s instinct for survival so far has provided him with one rule he must always obey if he’s to survive: he must not think. “Don’t think, don’t think! David clenched his hands, gripping a tuft of grass. He mustn’t think at all, for if he did, there was only one thing to think about – that he would not be able to run any further.”

As in the camp, he can look and listen, and use that information to help him; but those thoughts must go no further. David sticks to this rule throughout his journey, which I think has a devastating effect on the reader. I almost know this story by heart, but I still think for David, and warn him of the possible dangers. Such is the power of this little book (182 pages)!

David sneaks into the back of a van, hides in the hold of ship sailing to Italy, walks, runs and climbs – and even lives with family for some time; but all the time he’s afraid of being captured again, fearing that they will force him back to the camp.

How many times have we seen this played out on our various screens these last weeks?

For me, the most heart-breaking fact in the novel is that David doesn’t know how to smile. This worries the mother of the family who takes him in – she doesn’t want her innocent children to be corrupted by the evil he must have experienced. After over-hearing this, David finds an old mirror and practices smiling, although he isn’t very good at it. He can’t smile with his eyes. When he leaves, he writes a poignant farewell letter to the mother to tell her that children must be taught about good and evil if they’re to find their way through life.

David’s experiences have made him wise beyond his years!

I have no political agenda here; but if you don’t know this little gem, please read it if you can. I guarantee that, whatever your view, you will never regret looking into the heart of one child refugee: David.

Pauline Francis www.paulinefrancis.co.uk

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