My Beautiful Birds
Illustrator
Suzane Del Rizzo
Publisher
Pajama Press
Publication Year
2017
ISBN
9781772780109
Pages
32 pages
Genre
realism
Format
picture book
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
A moving story about one boy's refugee experience in the Syrian Civil War and the birds who help him on the road to emotional healing. Behind Sami, the Syrian skyline is full of smoke. The boy follows his family and all his neighbours in a long line, as they trudge through the sands and hills to escape the bombs that have destroyed their homes. But all Sami can think of is his pet pigeons - will they escape too? When they reach a refugee camp and are safe at last, everyone settles into the tent city. But though the children start to play and go to school again, Sami can't join in. When he is given paper and paint, all he can do is smear his painting with black. He can't forget his birds and what his family has left behind. One day a canary, a dove, and a rose finch fly into the camp. They flutter around Sami and settle on his outstretched arms. For Sami it is one step in a long healing process at last.
Grade Level
K-3
Lexile Measure
AD620L
Diversity Topics
Culture/Ethnicity; Immigrants and refugees; refugee family; refugee camp; exile; resettlement; relocation
Main Character
male child
Race/Ethnicities
Asian (Syrian)
Family Formation
mother and father
Awards
Crystal Kite Member Choice Award, 2018, Winner, Author (Canada)
Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Fiction Picture Book
INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards, 2017, Finalist, Picture Book
Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature, 2017, Winner
Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, 2018, Short List, Children's Picture Book
Best Books for Kids, 2017
New York Times Notable Children's Books, 2017 Picture Book
Notable Books for a Global Society, 2018
Keywords
birds; pets; escape; displaced; art therapy; Syria; war; distress
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Rizzo, Suzanne Del, "My Beautiful Birds" (2017). Diverse Families. 1731.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1731