That’s Another Story“The story is told in a way that helps younger children connect to the feelings of sadness and fear of the refugee experience.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful, reminding me of many amazing sunsets and cloud-filled skies I have experienced.”
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ASLC Litpicks“Canadian Suzanne Del Rizzo has created a gorgeously layered and textured vision of a refugee camp in Syria based on a true story….Politics and worldviews are conspicuously absent, as Del Rizzo’s incredibly detailed paint, Plasticine and polymer clay illustrations make Sami and the camp come to life. The camp is shown as a clean and safe place, with none of the darker elements of refugee life. This allows the focus to remain on the consequences of war for one young boy and his triumph over adversity, and brings the story to a level that young children in this country will be able to access and empathize with. A must for every school library.”
—Lissa Davies
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Pajama Press is proud to announce that My Beautiful Birds by award-winning author-illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo is a 2017 Quill & Quire Books of the Year selection.
Quill & Quire “is the magazine of the Canadian book trade….The magazine reviews around 400 new titles each year, offering the most comprehensive look at Canadian-authored books in the country.” Learn more here.
Pajama Press extends our congratulations to Suzanne Del Rizzo, and our sincerest thanks go to Quill & Quire for their commitment to championing and promoting Canadian publishing.
Other notable acclaim for My Beautiful Birds includes winning the 2017 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature, honor book selection for the 2017 Middle Eat Book Award, a New York Times Notable Books selection, a 2017 OneBook for Kids, One San Diego selection, a Junior Library Guild selection, and nomination for the 2017 Cybils Award for Fiction. My Beautiful Birds is also a NECBA Windows & Mirrors Fall 2017 selection, and a selection among Betsy Bird’s “2017 Books I’m Really Looking Forward To”.
“…When you live in a peaceful place where there is no war or conflict, it is hard to imagine what it is like to lose everything. It is hard to imagine what it is like to be a refugee. Unfortunately, today more people have been displaced by conflict and natural disasters than ever before.
One of the places where these displacements are taking place is Syria, a country that has been ripped apart by war. In this story we meet a Syrian child whose whole life is turned upside down when his hometown is destroyed. We watch as he struggles to adjust to his new existence in a refugee camp, and as he longs for what he used to have.
Beautifully written, and illustrated using polymer clay and acrylic, this picture book serves as a tribute to all those families who have had to venture out into the unknown when their homes have been taken from them.
—Marya Jansen-Gruber
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“It’s unusual to find stories about the Syrian civil war geared to picture book readers; but young audiences with adult assistance will find this an excellent introduction of the experience of refugees through the eyes of a young boy who dreams for something better.”
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“My Beautiful Birds is a beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated book about a young boy coping with the loss of pets and home and adapting to life in a refugee camp….Del Rizzo’s illustrations are the perfect compliments to the story. While they are detailed enough to convey emotion well, because they appear as theatrical vignettes, they provide some distance for the reader from a story which tackles a difficult subject.”
—Patricia Nozell
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“…Del Rizzo’s exquisite polymer clay illustrations add depth and a life-like dimension to Sami’s story….I appreciated that the author focused on the refugee crisis that is affecting the most innocent and vulnerable, children. She doesn’t address political themes in the book, but focuses on the humanity of the situation for children displaced from their homes in Syria….My Beautiful Birds is an excellent addition to any school library. It is age-appropriate and an introductory story about children who are displaced because of war or natural disasters.”
—Patricia Tilton
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“Art is a key element in the telling of this story, both in the beautiful images created from plasticine, polymer clay, and paint as well as the use of art within the story. Suzanne Del Rizzo tells this refugee story with scenes that have texture, are vibrant though realistic shades of color, and occupy varying placement and perspectives on the pages. This rich illustrative setting contextualizes the role of art in the story as a means of disclosing the inward struggles of the child as he draws images of his birds only to cover them with black paint. He imagines his birds with somewhat of an artist’s eye in the clouds of the brilliant sky above him, soaring and swirling. Eventually, as he begins to find peace within his heart and bravely faces the challenges before him, readers see a brilliant artistic display of kites made by school children from scraps and bright paints.”
—Janelle Mathis, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
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“This is a gorgeous book that had me in tears- it captures the fear and grief felt by a Syrian child refugee living in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan….There is an author’s note giving some background on the war in Syria and the particular refugee camp, and a website with further information. This link shows what the camp looks like: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-23801200. VERDICT: This is a must for all public and school libraries. The refugee situation will only get worse with time, and we need to educate ourselves and our kids about it.”
—Carol Schramm
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“A personal story about a contemporary crisis that gives readers a child narrator they can relate to. The illustrations, created from polymer clay, are unique and eye-catching. This would make a great introduction to a discussion of Syria and refugees.”
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