Lost words An Armenian story of survival and hope

Based in family history, this opaquely told account of the Armenian genocide is narrated by a maturing child who survives the events. A warm moment--mother and child cooking together--ends with a knock and a whispered conversation. Dressing the protagonist and two sisters in ragged clothing, Mama sews gold buttons inside, "in case you need them," and promises she'll soon follow. The children cross a desert alongside others "for days. For weeks. For months," the narrator holding "on to Mama's words like a prayer." After the children reach "a land with blankets and water and food. A land far from Mama," Boukarim traces the protagonist growing up, having "lost my words" to discuss these experiences, even through adulthood--until an intergenerational moment opens a pathway to the past. Digital illustrations from Avedikian use a flat graphic style to convey the events and saturated, chalk-like ribbons to delve into moments of memory in a telling that, while eliding definitive historical events in favor of an experiential telling, hints at unspoken events held, for decades, within. Creators' notes and a history conclude. Ages 5--8. (Mar.)

In a story inspired by her husband's grandfather, Boukarim provides a powerful examination of the loss inflicted by the Armenian Genocide. After soldiers suddenly arrive at their home, the young protagonist and his two sisters are forced to flee, embarking on an exhausting journey to escape the coming violence. Quiet and mournful, the boy, though himself safe, slowly lets go of the hope of ever seeing his mother again. Finally, after many decades, he finds the words necessary to share his story and the history with his grandchildren -- a remembrance of an ordeal long untold. "'Where are we from, Dada?' I didn't see it coming. I found my words, dusty from years of sitting in the dark, unspoken." Avedikian's digital illustrations, rendered with a warm palette and suffused with familial love and comfort, make a harrowing story approachable for young readers. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator detailing their personal connections to the Armenian Genocide; family photographs; and a map showing the two possible escape routes that may have been used by the author's extended family members. A necessary and well-crafted picture book about a part of world history too often ignored and sadly still relevant. Eric CarpenterMarch/April 2024 p.59 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

An Armenian grandfather reflects on his past. Cooking with his mama, a young boy has no reason to believe anything is out of the ordinary. But people are leaving town, and Mama tells the child and his sisters that they must go, too. She and their father will follow soon. The boy has much he wants to express, but he has lost the words. He endures a long, weary march through the desert and makes it to safety but doesn't reunite with his parents. The boy grows older and has children and grandchildren. The pain recedes, but the words don't return--until his grandson, on a day so like the first, asks where they are from. Stories of the Armenian genocide are rarely committed to paper, but nearly every diasporic Armenian family has them, keeping them as close as the ubiquitous sepia-toned photos of relatives whose lives were lost but whose names remain. Though inspired by the experiences of the author's husband's grandfather, this is also the story of the countless children forced to leave their homes for reasons they couldn't articulate and of their children and grandchildren, who will always strive to know where they come from. The warm, soft illustrations add a dreamlike quality to the spare words, moving in their simplicity. The tale might seem detached on the surface, but it can hardly be anything else, when the words to tell it fully have been lost. Heartbreaking yet warmly tinged with hope. (author's and illustrator's notes, history of the Armenian genocide, facts about Armenia, glossary, selected bibliography) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.