Illegal

Review

Beginning with a quote about illegal aliens from Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, this graphic novel, from the team behind the Artemis Fowl comics, will help you to start a discussion on the migrant crisis in an accessible way.

The story follows 12-year-old Ebo as he makes the treacherous journey from Africa to Europe across the Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea.

The book cleverly alternates settings every chapter, as we lurch between Ebo and brother Kwame’s panic-stricken sea crossing and the journey that brought them there.

Colfer and Donkin deliver a sucker-punch towards the end of the book that children will need some time to absorb, but the focus on relatable Ebo is an excellent entry point into this sensitive topic.

At the end of the book there is a map of Ebo’s journey and a cartoon strip telling a real-life refugee’s story that is similar to Ebo’s.