Refugee: The Graphic Novel

Gr 4-8–In 1939, Josef’s Jewish family flees Berlin to escape the Nazi regime. In 1994, ­Isabel’s family sails toward ­Miami, leaving Castro and Cuba behind. In 2015, Mahmoud and his family run from Syria as civil war rages. Decades and thousands of miles separate them, but Josef, Isabel, and ­Mahmoud share one thing in common: they are refugees, and their stories converge in surprising ways. This graphic novel adaptation is faithful to the original book, omitting only minor details from the main plotlines. The illustrations, which resemble the superhero comics art style, ­effectively heighten the ­drama. For example, when Josef’s ­apartment is trashed by Nazi storm troopers, dark shadows in each panel c­onvey the abruptness of the nighttime raid and the family’s terror. The coloring is exquisite, showcasing the beauty of Isabel’s Havana and the despair of ­Mahmoud’s Aleppo. Maps are helpfully placed at the beginning of the chapters, showing each character’s place in their journey. While the illustrations add excitement, the ­original novel’s emotional heft can get lost in the graphic novel format, and the ­cliff-hanger chapter endings are not as ­riveting. The a­uthor’s note has been updated to reflect new information about Syrian and Cuban refugees since the prose novel’s publication.