The Journey

Story

A young girl tells her story: how along with her mother and brother she left her home to escape the turmoil of war. They leave, fearful, but with hope. They travel many miles and have many strange, and some frightening , experiences – all beautifully illustrated.

Why we chose it

A picture book told through the eyes of a child, which explores the reasons why a family must leave their home to flee from war and what they must face on the journey. Simple words and beautiful, detailed illustrations combine to give the book its emotional power.

Where it came from

Francesca Sanna was bought up in Italy where she one day met two girls in a refugee centre. She realised as she listened to their story that something very powerful lay behind this story. So she began collecting other peoples’ stories of migration.

She started studying for an MA in Illustration and then knew she wanted to create a book about these true stories. So The Journey was born.

Where it went next

It has been translated into many languages and has won a number of awards around the world, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize (2017), UKLA Book Award, Klaus Flugge Prize, Gold Medal of Society of Ilustrators (US) and Primi Libreter (Spain) as well as the CILIP Amnesty Honour (2017)

Associated stories

Another picture book by Francesca Sanna, Me and My Fear, tells the story of a girl who has come to a new country and must start school in a place where she doesn’t know the language.