Is she exposing the realities of refugees and escaping from a war or persecution etc or is she just telling someone else’s story...? There's a lot to love about this incredibly deft and sensitively told picture book. Bring this towards little people who are asking questions - and bring it towards those little people who aren't. My Name Is Not Refugee has this great, great range of appeal and I have a lot of time for it, I really do. Discover a new view of life in Britain, in an exhibition of artworks chosen by a group of refugees and asylum seekers living in Colchester. I am interested in the way you use green as the main colour of the mum’s clothing but it is also reflected in the door knob in the waiting room. Is there a specific reason for that choice? A powerful and moving exploration that draws the young reader into each stage of the journey, inviting the chance to imagine the decisions he or she would make. From the winner of the V&A Student Illustration Award 2016.

In this increasingly complex and difficult world we live in, I've been looking for books that help to explain and support younger readers. They have often proven of immense value to myself and the dual appeal of texts like this to both adult and child cannot be ignored. Step towards children's books if you're struggling to find answers; there's something to be said for the pure poetics and the stylistic truths that can exist in this space.I was delighted to come across My Name Is Not Refugee, a picture book which tells the story of an unnamed mother and son who need to leave their home. As we go along their journey, the text occasionally turns towards the reader and asks a direct question of them: "Can you speak more than one language?" or "What would you take?" It's a simple technique and yet an incredibly potent one. Books like this thrive not only on the story that they provide but also on the discussion they provoke. I was very pleased to discover an excellent teacher's resource kit for My Name Is Not Refugee and would direct you there as a matter of haste. This book may be aimed at children, but I believe the words and content are so powerful in their simplicity that even adults would do well to read this. That is not to say that Kate Milner is "simplifying" the refugee crisis in any way, shape or form. Not at all. On the contrary, I believe she has succeeded in shedding light at a situation that is absolutely horrific and nightmarish and giving us a glimpse at how parents with children deal with it.

The following learning activitiesare divided into sections, each of which takes between 15 and 30 minutes. These are designed to be followed chronologically as a response to the story. Each of the 6 activities covers one or more of the themes, one or more of the skillsand Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes. Refugee Action Colchester is a voluntary organisation working with refugees, asylum seekers and people with no access to public funds. Find out more www.refugeeactioncolchester.org.ukKate Milner has done an incredible job breaking down the emotional, mental and physical complexities of the refugee experience into a bittersweet and poignant story for your children. Milner's narrative is short, but certainly not sweet, as the unnamed child narrator recounts what their mother has told him and the unusual activities, scenes, sounds and scents that he explores on his way to his new home. And those refugee children, who are so much more open to change and are capable of adapting to new environments more readily than adults and experience things differently, to see them through Milner's words, it's truly moving. Visit our Online Studio to explore the exhibition in more depth, with videos from the community curators, musical performances, poetry and short films. I was instantly in love with the cover, the art on it was pretty. It still took me a bit before I actually read it though. Nothing against refugees, I am happy that we can give these people a chance for a safe life, a happy life. But there is just SO MUCH about refugees, books about them (from picture books to YA), or authors just moving refugee characters in their books. At first I was quite interested in reading these books, but after months of seeing it everywhere... it just gets too much. Sorry. :(