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Marwan's home country got attacked and now he has to make the long arduous journey to America.
I like this book. I'm glad that it is not super text heavy, as I'm discovering a lot of children's books are (which makes no sense). It relies on the pictures and uses short phrases to convey meaning. It doesn't try to sway you in any direction, it just objectively states what happened. i think students who aren't immigrants could enjoy this book because the illustrations are beautiful, and we've all likely been in situations where we really miss home.

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

I honestly cannot decide how I really feel about this book. One minute I am profoundly moved, the next I am turned off and dismissive. I'll give it four stars because it is an important story to tell, and is at least interesting enough to make me fluctuate on my opinion. ( )

This is a short book and it is easy to read. It’s a story of a young boy’s journey to an unfamiliar place. It seems he took this journey with many others but they were unfamiliar to him. The memory of his mom and his now far away home was his motivation to keep him going when he felt discouraged and wanted to stop. It is an inspiring story. ( )

In simple but poetic text, author Patricia de Arias tells the story of Marwan, a young boy who must flee his homeland one day, when darkness descends upon it. Although no name is given, the artwork makes the Middle Eastern setting evident, leading to the conclusion that our eponymous refugee is Syrian. Encouraged by the words of his mother, Marwan keeps walking, hoping for a future of safety, a future in which he will one day return to his home...

Originally published as El camino de Marwan, in Santiago, Chile, Marwan's Journey pairs a simple but powerful text from Arias with beautiful, immensely expressive artwork from illustrator Laura Borràs. The words and images here focus on Marwan's memories and immediate experiences, the terrifying, heartbreaking events he lives through, driving home the fact that children are often the most vulnerable, in the fallout from complex adult actions and politics. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about the refugee experience in general, or the recent exodus from Syria into Europe in particular. ( )