Review by Booklist Review
A man behind bars in a Syrian prison poses for the artist, eyes staring directly at him, as well as at the reader; an Iraqi girl smiles out from deep within a caravan of refugees passing through Greece; people huddle around a fire in a warehouse in Belgrade while the cold seeps into their bodies through the concrete floor. This is a work of art, compassion, and activism, with journalist and illustrator Butler using his craft to bear witness to and build awareness of the effects of war on civilians whose lives are treated as mere collateral for those in power. The book includes accounts from 10 places ravaged by war between 2012 and 2018. Each account includes a snippet of conversation with someone Butler met: children and adults displaced by war and politics--but never abject victims. They have dignity, humor, tenderness, and, most important, names. We get to know them momentarily before they have to move on in search of safety. In this visually stunning volume, Butler uses sharply defined ink lines to create the contours of people and landscapes, and washes of watercolor that bleed into one another add depth and context. A powerful work of skill and sensibility.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Between 2011 and 2018, British artist and reporter Butler traveled to a dozen locations where people have been forced by circumstances beyond their control to leave their homes, documenting in words and pictures the individuals and environments he encountered. The result is an elegant, spare, and moving collection of histories that are coupled with muted pen-and-ink and watercolor images. Devoting two spreads to each place, Butler begins with a concise history of the events that forced migration, be it the 2011 civil war in Syria--where he drew children playing on a burnt-out government tank--or urbanization in Kenya, which brought the traditionally nomadic Masai people to settle among "the infamous slums of Nairobi." The landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits are predominantly illustrated in varying shades of gray and brown with occasional spots of color, creating an affecting and somber ambiance. Butler's measured first-person narrative includes his own reactions and reflections ("Only by understanding individual cases better can we properly respond to migration as a whole"); a closing note updates some of the individuals' situations and affirms migration as "the right to move for a better future." Ages 10--up. (Mar.)■
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From the Middle East, Kenya, Tajikistan, Eastern Europe, and Myanmar, Butler shares stories of migration that put a human face on a global phenomenon. The book is organized into 12 illustrated stories of people on the move. While some seek refuge from war, others migrate in search of better livelihoods. In a story about Tajikistan's migrant workers, Butler writes, "it struck me that human migration is often thought of as one-directional, but this movement of people is on a continuous loop--an enormous, annual commute to work." On the Balkan route during what some have termed Europe's recent "refugee crisis," he recollects that "on one side [of a new fence] armored police patrolled with batons, while groups of refugees and migrants, carrying their lives and children on their backs, were on the other." The spare, penetrating ink sketches portray facts and convey emotions in a way that allows readers to see through the artist's eyes. They are supported by contextual narrative recounting what was happening when it was drawn. The range of migration experiences covered is impressive. In addition to displacement across borders, it includes less-discussed topics--internal displacement; refugees who return to still-struggling home countries; and a section on Palestine and the right to movement--all without failing to note that migration has existed for centuries. Together, text and art portray their dreams, the burdens they carry, and the uncertainty they experience. An exquisite piece of journalism imbued with care. (Nonfiction. 10-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
