Azzi In Between

Product Information

My children loved the story, found it exciting and interesting and have a much better understanding now of the experience of refugees. very touchy story and very expressive illustrations, a lot to tell and to explain to your kids behind its lines , about war, homeland meaning , the refugee's suffering, family and hope. I'd recommend this book to share with Y2 upwards, particularly in PHSE lessons, and it would be a good resource for Refugee Week. To me, it was the barrier created by Azzi's internal worries about her father's emotional well being, and the whereabouts of her absent grandmother, that resulted in her settling in a space between security and insecurity. Told through the eyes of children, this moving collection of short stories focuses on the experiences of asylum seekers from all over the world.

She has illustrated Margaret Mahy’s Dashing Dog and has written and illustrated Billy and Belle, Eddie’s Garden, Eddie’s Kitchen and the board books, Splash! It shows the differences in countries and cultures, and children would be able to notice similarities and differences between Azzi's life and their own lives. This is where the title becomes more pertinent; Azzi's caught in between two worlds and she's neither one or the other.Drawing on her own experience of working among refugee families, Sarah Garland has created a story which will strike a chord with many who have undergone similar ordeals. This, coupled with the review it got over at Playing By The Book meant that it was one book that was very much on my radar.

Garland's style has a warmth about it that's shaded in shadowy, light-caught colours that never seem quite solid or still on the page. The comic book esc layout allows younger children to engage with the story even without the words, and provides a layout of which they will probably be familiar with, allowing them to interact further with the story.With a kind helper at the school, Azzi begins to learn English and understand that she is not the only one who has had to flee her home.

It prompts many good discussions about how one might feel as a refugee with the hardships possibly encountered when having to escape from war and other dangers.

This book will be great to show children to widen their understanding of the variety of backgrounds, cultures and experiences others have.