Review by Booklist Review
There's little comfort in the fact that forced migration is part of the human story, but there is always comfort in the potential for connection through the sharing of stories. The Moon From Dehradun, set during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, is relevant today, as war and climate change force people from their homes. Azra's family is Muslim and must leave their town in India to start a life in Pakistan. In their rushed departure, Azra accidentally leaves behind her doll. She is heartbroken. Panels of detailed illustrations in dusky pink, grey, and green hues capture the frenzy and disorientation of the millions of people who left homes on each side of the new border to seek refuge. In Lahore, the family is resettled in a home that was probably abandoned by a Hindu family fleeing in the opposite direction. Having lost her doll, Azra's attention shifts to taking care of her baby brother, for which fate rewards her. A tender, semifictional account about starting over. Back matter adds historical context.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As Britain leaves India to its independence, it first divides the subcontinent, requiring that young Azra and her family leave their Indian hometown in this 1947-set story of Partition. Distracted by her baby brother and lacking time to prepare for the train from Dehradun to Lahore ("It's not safe. We cannot wait another day"), Azra realizes too late that she has left her beloved doll, Gurya, behind. Shamsi's text balances the deep sadness and disorientation that Azra feels with text that shows the strength and hope she draws from her role as older sibling. Lak's bustling, thin-lined illustrations depict crowded trains full of similarly worried travelers--a glowing moon above them all--and, as Azra's family heads toward a residence that others had to flee just as quickly, portray another family making their way toward Azra's old home. It's a haunting, history-based arc that powerfully depicts similarities among those made to flee. An author's note and extensive back matter concludes. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
When India is partitioned in 1947, Azra and her Muslim family members carefully plan their journey to Lahore, in what will be Pakistan, from their home in the Himalayan town of Dehradun in India. However, sudden violence calls for a hasty departure, and the family escapes, dinner still hot on the stove. In the chaos, Azra forgets her beloved doll, Gurya. Digital illustrations show caravans of families fleeing on foot and by crowded trains; the sequencing of several vignette illustrations on a double-page spread deftly captures the chaotic jumble of events. Upon reaching Lahore, where the new Pakistani flag waves, Azra's family moves into a house that, like theirs, was abandoned hastily, and Azra finds a doll under the bed. With a page-turn, a wordless image shows a Hindu family entering Azra's house and a little girl finding Azra's Gurya. A concluding split double-page spread, comfortingly, juxtaposes the two girls smiling at the dolls in their respective new homes. Back matter contains a map, a glossary, and further context about Partition. This child's perspective on a major twentieth-century instance of forced migration is rendered with both tenderness and urgency. Julie Hakim Azzam November/December 2022 p.73(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child accidentally leaves a beloved doll behind when their family is forced to abruptly flee during the Partition of India. It's 1947, and Azra lives with their family in the Indian city of Dehradun. As Azra tells readers, Dehradun has been home to their family for generations, but lately they've noticed that everyone seems angry. While Azra's mother explains that people are frightened, Azra still doesn't fully understand as they hold Gurya, the doll that their grandmother made for them when they were a baby. Everything changes when Azra's father rushes home just before dinner and announces that the family must leave immediately. With their dinner left untouched, the family quickly fills a few bags with their belongings and leaves, Azra soothing baby Chotu as they prepare. But when Azra realizes Gurya was left behind in the confusion, Azra's father says they cannot turn back. Shamsi's text vividly portrays the confusion and pain experienced by Azra's family as well as the generosity of the strangers they encounter on their journey to their new home in Lahore. Relying on a muted palette and loose yet expressive linework, Lak skillfully conveys the uncertainty and fear felt by those who endured Partition. The book's sweet conclusion also illuminates the power of new beginnings in desperate circumstances. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A poignant and memorable tale. (map, glossary, information on Partition and the author's family's experiences) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
