Mishka
Refugees and asylum-seekers are on my mind, of course, and therefore so is one of my five favorite books read in 2024- Mishka, by Anoush Elman and Edward van de Vendel, illustrated by Annet Schaap, translated from the Dutch by Nancy Forest-Flier.
I thought when I requested it from the library that it would be a picture book, but it’s a chapter book. 160 pages.
I love it for the bizarre details of rabbit ownership. I love it for Roya’s family of six (plus Mishka) and how they share and compete over the rabbit and how they take care of each other. I love how the book reveals bit by bit, in little asides almost, what a long journey it was (it took years, pre-Mishka) to go from their home country, to transitional, temporary homes, to their new home-for-keeps. Weirdly, I love it for Roya’s breakdown at school, because her teacher loves her, and her class understands what’s important.
Highly recommend this book and a browse through other titles at Levine Querido, which is dedicated to diverse kidlit.