• Start Here
  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
    • Read Aloud Chapter Books
  • Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting

What Do We Do All Day

Books and Activities for Kids

You are here: Home / Books / Children’s Books about Refugees (Picture Books)

Children’s Books about Refugees (Picture Books)

September 28, 2015

8648shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

If you aren’t sure how to talk to your kids about the current refugee crisis, start with a book. The titles on this list of picture books about refugees are set in a variety of historical periods, as well as the present day. In addition to teaching kids to have compassion for refugees, I think it’s also important to look at how refugees have played a part in the making of countries throughout history. Because picture books are a great way to introduce advanced readers to tough topics, be sure to read these books aloud to your older kids, too.

Children's picture books about refugees.

I’ve included books set in refugee camps, some that take place during the journey from one place to another, as well as books which focus children’s experiences in a new, unfamiliar place. We must remind our children that hardships do not cease just because the physical journey has ended. My hope is that these books help you open an honest dialogue with your children about the plight and experiences of refugee children and families around the world. Teach your kids to be the change.

MORE: See an index of all our book lists for kids here.

(Note: Books covers and titles are affiliate links.)


Four Feet, Two Sandals. Two girls in a Pakistan refugee camp each find one shoe. Lina and Feroza meet and decide to share the sandals. A friendship develops and they share details about why they have come to the camp. The text contains descriptions about life in the camp, such as waiting in long lines for water, washing clothes in the river and waiting at home while boys go to school. This is an important book that humanizes the experiences of children in refugee camps.

RELATED: Picture books featuring Muslim families


How I Learned Geography. This award winning book is based on Shulevitz’s own experience as a refugee from Warsaw. In the story, a family escapes war, fleeing to Turkestan where they live in “houses made of clay, straw and camel dung…” One day father brings home a map instead of food for his hungry family. At first the young boy resents the map, but the father helps his son use the map to travel around the world in his imagination. Shulevitz gives more information about his personal experiences as a refugee in an endnote.


Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. This is an amazing, true story. The narrator is a boy whose father is the Japanese ambassador in Lithuania during World War II. One day, hundreds of Jewish refugees start showing up at the embassy asking for visas to Japan so they can escape the Nazis. They hope to get to Japan so they could move on to another country safely. Three times, the boy’s father asks permission from Japan to issue the visas, and 3 times the answer is, “No.” However, the father decides to do the right thing. This book is so different from many on the list because it is told from the perspective of those who were faced with a choice to help the refugees. I particularly like how the boy’s father includes him in the events, at one point saying, “My father always took the time to explain everything to me.” The afterward by the author, describing what happened in later years, is just as fascinating as the story.


Journey Home. Mai narrates this story of going to Vietnam with her mother, who was an orphan refugee from Vietnam. Her mother is searching for her birth parents with only a photograph as a clue. Mai describes how it must feel to not know what your origins are, and how scary it would feel to be on a journey and not know the destination. While this refugee story is told from a third person/second generation’s point of view, it is an important one. After all, being a refugee means that lives will be affected for generations, and certainly many of our children’s friends are the daughters and sons of refugees themselves.


Colour of Home. Hassan and his family have just arrived in the United States from Somalia, fleeing the war. First grader Hassan misses his home in Africa. He is homesick, he struggles with the English language and he misses the colorful landscape. His art teacher helps him find expression for his complicated emotions through painting. Painting his story brings back Hassan’s feelings about the war and he is able to relate his refugee experience through a translator.  I think this is a great book to help kids feel empathy and understand the variety of experiences that kids their own age may be going through.


Brothers in Hope. There is some really tough subject matter in this book. After 8 year old Garang comes home to find his village in Sudan destroyed by soldiers, he joins other orphan boys on a 1000 mile walk to safety. They travel through Ethiopia and Kenya, enduring hardship (to say the least) on the way. Not all of the boys survive the journey. Even the refugee camp where they stay has its own dangers. They boys are eventually accepted as refugees in the United States, but an afterword explains that refugee struggles do not end in their new home country.


Dia’s Story Cloth: The Hmong People’s Journey of Freedom. A traditional Hmong story cloth tells the author’s story of how her family got through war in Laos in the mid 20th century. Her father was killed in the war and she and her mother travelled to a refugee camp in Thailand, where they lived for four years before emigrating to the United States. The quilt depicted in the book is gorgeous and parents and educators can connect it to the tradition of telling family history through quilting in America. Pair this book with Patricia Polacco’s The Keeping Quilt.


How Many Days to America?: A Thanksgiving Story. The police show up at a family’s house, forcing them to flee their (unnamed) Caribbean country. They set off in a boat to reach America, and land on Thanksgiving Day. During the journey, they endure hunger, thirst and have their belongings stolen. While this has become a classic text for classroom discussion about American’s history of immigration, its message will inspire conversations any time of the year, not just during the third week of November.


The Blessing Cup. Like most of Polacco’s books, this is looooong, but set aside some time because it is worth it. In the 19th century, Anna’s family is one of thousands of Jewish families forced to flee Russia. They take few belongings, but among them is a special tea set associated with the family tradition that anyone who drinks from it has a blessing from God. Before they get out of Russia, Papa falls ill and a doctor harbors the family while Papa recovers. However, when the doctor comes under suspicion for housing Jews the family prepares to leave. A great act of kindness by the doctor allows the family to finally reach America. What I love about this book is that, as in Passage to Freedom (see above), it is the kindness and compassion of others which allow families to escape to safety. That’s a crucial lesson to teach our kids, that it is imperative we help others in need. The historical aspect of this story is also an excellent reminder how nations are rooted in a long tradition of immigration and as places of refuge.


Oskar and the Eight Blessings. This is a brand new book about a boy who arrives in New York after living through Kristallnacht. It is the 7th night of Hanukkah as well as Christmas Eve and he must walk 100 blocks to find his aunt. Along the way he encounters people who show him kindness, sees the holiday sights of the city and passes landmarks which inspire him to reflect on his circumstances. The illustrations are beautiful and an endnote from the author explains his own experience coming to understand his identity as an American Jew. There is also a map of Oskar’s walk up the length of Manhattan.


My Name Is Sangoel. This book focuses on the challenge of refugee children maintaining a sense of self in their new cultural home. A refugee from Sudan, Sangeol feels out of place in the United States. Everything is strange and he feels awkward that no one can pronounce his name correctly. He comes up with a creative solution that allows him to feel more at home with the other children at school. The connection between one’s name and one’s identity is a prevalent theme in children’s literature. Kid World Citizen has an excellent book list of picture books about names and their connection to immigrant identity.


My Two Blankets was just published. It follows a young African girl who travels as a war refugee to a new, strange country. She brings along a blanket that helps her feel safe. One day she encounters a girl in the park. The two become tentative friends even though they don’t share a language. When the girl starts to teach her new words she starts to create a new blanket from the new words. Lovely.

UPDATED TO ADD MORE BOOKS:


Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs, translated by Falah Raheem, illustrated by Nizar Badr. This bilingual English-Arabic picture book tells the story of a family forced to leave their war-torn home and walk the path to Europe in hopes of finding peace and stability. The illustrations are absolutely fascinating tableaux composed of stones created by Raheem, an artist who has spent his entire life in a small corner in Syria.


The Journey by Francecsa Sanna. I really like the illustrations in this picture book about a family that flees their home after it is destroyed and the father disappears. They travel in many different modes: car, boat, on foot, etc. Yes, it is an intense book, but I think most children 5 and up can handle it, especially if they are aware of the refugee crisis. It is an excellent book for building compassion for others in quite different situations than our own. The ending is uncertain, but not without hope — a great teaching moment for your own kids.


The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey by Louise Borden, illustrated by Allan Drummond. If your kids are fans of Curious George, this book is an excellent way to help them understand the how the experience of refugees in wartime has affected them personally. After all, there would be no Curious George! This hefty picture book puts together primary sources: Hans’s diary, documents, photographs to tell the story of how the famous duo fled wartime France on bicycle, in 1940.


The Arrival by Shaun Tan. A magnificent wordless graphic novel about an immigrant leaving his home and arriving at his new home. The reader feels the strangeness of the immigrant coming making a journey and coming to a new land full of confusing and fantastical experiences. The immigrant meets others, learns of their experiences and expands his worldview. Truly marvelous. Ages 12 and up.

Final note: while picture books about refugees, and picture book biographies like the ones I’ve listed here are an excellent place to start a conversation with your kids about the refugee crisis, your library also has many excellent non-fiction books. I encourage you to seek those books out, share them with your kids and then plan a local service project so your kids can get involved with helping others who are forced to flee their homes.

A few resources to get you started:

  • HIAS: A Refugee Protection Organization
  • International Refugee Organization
  • Global Citizen: How to Help Syrian Refugees
  • UN Refugee Agency

Related book lists:

  • Books to inspire kids to change the world
  • Books to inspire kids to follow their dreams
  • Books to help kids combat racism
  • Books about civil rights
  • Books to teach kids empathy
  • Picture books about peace

Don’t miss any of our Monday book lists, subscribe to our newsletter.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Share it on Facebook:

Children's picture books that teach about the refugee experience.

Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
8648shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

by: Erica posted in: Books 30 Comments

« Game of the Month: DIY Gamer Kit
Pong Hau K’i : DIY Board Game from China »

Comments

  1. felicity says

    September 28, 2015 at 8:31 am

    Thanks for these. I’ll enjoy checking them out with my students.

    Two more you might enjoy are Anh Do’s “The Little Refugee” and “My Two Blankets” by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood.

    Reply
    • Erica MomandKiddo says

      September 28, 2015 at 8:34 am

      Oh, we just read My Two Blankets! I can’t believe I forgot to include it.

      Reply
    • Jennifer says

      September 28, 2015 at 9:34 am

      This is a wonderful collection of stories, thank you so much for sharing! Older kids might like Gaijin: american Prisoner of War by Matt Faulkner. It’s a beautifully illustrated graphic novel. http://www.amazon.com/Gaijin-American-Prisoner-Matt-Faulkner/dp/1423137353

      Reply
  2. Maryanne says

    September 28, 2015 at 10:03 am

    Another recently published Australian recommendation – Flight by Nadia Wheatley, illustrated by Armin Greder (http://nadiawheatley.com/flight/)
    I was lucky enough to be at a lecture where the author shared this book with us prior to it being published – dramatic illustrations and simple, poignant text.

    Reply
  3. Corrie says

    September 28, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    Do you happen to know of any children’s books or chapter books that would help kids adjust to a new culture?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Erica MomandKiddo says

      October 1, 2015 at 7:54 am

      Hi Corrie, You might try books in your library under the subject “immigration”. There are a lot of picture books about immigrant children adapting to a new culture. The Name Jar, My Name is Yoon, One Green Apple, etc. Here I Am by Patti Kim is a really lovely book, too.

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    October 5, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    It would be useful to have (rough) age recommendations for these books. My daughter is 5 & has asked about what refugees are – I’ve tried to talk to her a bit but as you note, these are pretty big concepts to address. She doesn’t even know what war is. Looking at this list, they mainly seem like they’d be above her head, but perhaps I’m wrong? Anyway, it would be helpful to know what age groups you think these would be appropriate for. I appreciate your lists – thanks!

    Reply
    • Erica MomandKiddo says

      October 6, 2015 at 8:00 am

      Hi Sarah. Start with My Two Blankets. All of these books do reference war in some way, and most of them reference the death of a family member, so it is impossible to get around that. Four Feet Two Sandals, The Blessing Cup, How I Learned Geography, My Name is Sangeol, and Playing War are the next ones to try. My 6 year old enjoyed all of them, but he knows what war is, and you will want to preview them if you are concerned. I hope one of them works for you.

      Reply
  5. Ceri says

    November 22, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    I think The Silence Seeker by Ben Morley is far better than any of them for explaining the concept of asylum seeking and tolerance.

    Reply
    • Erica MomandKiddo says

      November 25, 2015 at 9:36 am

      Thank you for the recommendation!

      Reply
  6. Julie Fox says

    May 11, 2016 at 7:23 am

    one more children’s book about a boy who was forced to leave his beloved pet dog Emma behind when fleeing his home country – Goodbye, Emma –

    Reply
    • Erica MomandKiddo says

      May 13, 2016 at 5:25 am

      Thanks for the recommendation.

      Reply
  7. Desiree says

    June 8, 2016 at 1:16 pm

    Hi this post is great! If you’re interested I am looking to republish a group of bloggers book posts this summer (and longer if I receive more submissions than there are Fridays between now and Sept 1st). For more information, check this link: http://readingwithmissd.blogspot.ca/2016/06/new-teacher-feature-book-posts.html I look foward to receiving a submission from you!

    Reply
  8. Liz says

    January 9, 2017 at 8:47 pm

    Another great book is Messages From Maryam, by Lauren Pichon. It’s about Iraqi refugees. You can get it on Amazon.

    Reply
    • Erica says

      January 10, 2017 at 12:15 pm

      Thanks for the suggestion.

      Reply
  9. Stacey says

    January 26, 2017 at 9:06 pm

    A great book for older kids: Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate.

    Reply
    • Erica says

      January 31, 2017 at 6:03 am

      That’s a great book! It’s on a list I have for 6th graders!

      Reply
  10. Jean says

    January 30, 2017 at 10:54 pm

    So many great titles. We can all learn from picture books, no matter our age.

    Reply
    • Erica says

      January 31, 2017 at 6:01 am

      I hope you enjoy the books. Happy reading!

      Reply
  11. Mary says

    January 31, 2017 at 11:53 am

    Erica, your booklists are the BEST! I’m a children’s librarian, and I frequently share them with our patrons. Thank you so much for your work. Keep it up!

    Reply
    • Erica says

      February 3, 2017 at 3:25 pm

      Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. I am tickled to know that a librarian uses my book lists as a resource.

      Reply
  12. Lauren P says

    March 9, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    Great list! Another good book about refugees is “Messages From Maryam.”

    Reply
  13. Erika Berg says

    March 10, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    Your readers may also benefit from 2016 Indie Book Award winner, Forced to Flee: Visual Stories by Refugee Youth from Burma, and the accompanying website: http://www.burmavisionsforpeace.org

    Reply
  14. Linda Weijers says

    April 8, 2017 at 5:33 am

    I’ve just read ‘Azzi in between’ by Sarah Garland to my children aged 7 and 4. I’d highly recommend for 5 and older. It’s a comic book style picture book

    Reply
    • Erica says

      April 19, 2017 at 11:09 am

      Thank you for the suggestion!

      Reply
  15. Nancy says

    June 12, 2017 at 4:52 am

    Great post! We are having a unit about refugees and your list is all I’ve been looking for. Can you please recommend which titles are for 10 year olds? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erica says

      June 20, 2017 at 1:17 pm

      Hi Nancy, So sorry for missing your comment here. I think all of the books are good for age 10. Probably the ones best suited for younger kids are My Two Blankets, The Colors of Home and Four Feet Two Sandals. But you can’t go wrong with any of them. They are picture books.

      Reply
  16. Felicity Bent says

    February 4, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    A couple more to add to this list:

    “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit” by Judith Kerr. This is the true story of Judith’s family’s escape from the Nazis in 1933 just before her father, a writer who criticised Hitler, was to be taken away. Judith (called Anna in the book) is 9 and her brother a little older and they go first to Switzerland, then to France and finally to England. The story focuses on Anna’s feelings about having to leave everything she knows behind, having to make new friends and start anew at school where she doesn’t speak the language and is the outsider. This is a chapter book probably suitable for ages 10-12 but, of course, it’s also good for reading aloud to younger children. I loved it as an adult too and there are two sequels.

    “Ziba Came on a Boat” is a picture book by Australian writer and teacher Liz Lofthouse. It’s about a little girl who makes a dangerous journey by boat to come to Australia as a refugee.

    Reply
  17. Sadia says

    July 22, 2018 at 6:40 pm

    This is a wonderful list – thank you so much! I’m so excited to read many of these with my daughters!

    Reply
    • Erica says

      July 23, 2018 at 12:12 pm

      Happy reading!

      Reply

Feed My Comment Addiction Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

STOP THE WHINING!

SAY, "YES I WANT TO UNPLUG MY KIDS." JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER LIST AND GET 10 WAITING GAMES YOUR KIDS CAN PLAY ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.

Join over 12,000 parents who subscribe to the most useful newsletter on the planet. 

    We won't send you spam (yuck). Unsubscribe at any time.

    Search

    What Have We Done Lately?

    Read Alike Bookmarks for Kids!

    Middle Grade Books featuring Asian and Pacific-Islander Characters

    Asian and Asian-American Children’s Books by #OwnVoices Authors

    Nonfiction Poetry for Children

    Mafia Dice Game: Rules for Playing

    Books Like The One and Only Ivan

    Spring Poems for Kids and Families


    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
    Copyright 2007-2020 What Do We Do All Day? All rights reserved.

    EXPLORE MORE:

    Awesome Newsletter
    Favorite Resources for Parents
    100s of Book Lists
    Gigantic List of Indoor Activities
    Best Games on the Planet
    Stay At Home Parent Resources


    Privacy, disclosure and copyright policy

    Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme Description: This is the Foodie Pro child theme created for the Genesis Framework. Author: Shay Bocks Author URI: http://shaybocks.com/ Version: 2.0.5 Tags: black, orange, white, one-column, two-columns, three-columns, fixed-width, custom-menu, full-width-template, sticky-post, theme-options, threaded-comments, translation-ready Template: genesis Template Version: 2.0.1 License: GPL-2.0+ License URI: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php by Shay Bocks

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you keep using this website we will assume you are OK with that. Read our privacy policy for more.OKRead more