This book for children aged six and over tells the true story of Yusra Mardini, an Olympic swimmer originally from Syria and now living in Germany.

Readers may recognize Yusra as having been a member of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team that competed under the Olympic flag at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In 2017, Mardini was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

Yusra grew up in a suburb of Damascus, where she trained as a competitive swimmer. During the Syrian Civil War (which started in 2011 and is ongoing), Yusra’s house was destroyed. Yusra decided to flee the country in 2015.

She reached Lebanon, and then Turkey, and then arranged to be smuggled into Greece by boat with 18 other migrants on a boat intended for no more than 6 or 7 people. The boat sank, but Yusra’s swimming ability helped her survive.

In the author’s spare, rhythmic verse used to tell the story, she writes:

“Treading water,
Gripping rope.
Yusra swims,
Keeping hope.
Water deep.
Crashing waves.
Pushing forward,
Being brave.”

Eventually she made it to Berlin and began training again.

Illustrations by Sally Deng show the harsh world from which Yusra escaped as well as Yusra’s determination to overcome all obstacles in dynamic scenes of movement. In some ways though, her artwork is so pretty it’s difficult to associate it with the violence and horrific events that are sometimes supposedly portrayed.

An Author’s Note with more background about Yusra completes the book. ( )