Description
Description
A moving story about a young girl and her family who are forced to flee their beloved home after violence erupts all around them, and their journey to make a new sense of home.
One day someone asks me,
Where is home?
And I don't know what to say.
Is home here or there?
Told from the perspective of a young refugee girl, debut children's book author and New Voices winner Maham Khwaja tells the story of a family forced to flee their home due to violence. Emotive illustrations by Daby Zainab Faidhi balance the family's love for one another and hope for the future with the harrowing journey to escape on foot, travel by boat, and then finally resettle in a safe place. Through it all, the young girl tries to hold on to all the pieces of her life before and find a way to rebuild a sense of home.
About the Author
About the Author
Maham Khwaja is a Pakistani-American writer and artist based in NYC. She has worked on feature films, network television, and children's programming, including Sim Sim Hamara (Sesame Street Pakistan). Her work has screened at film festivals and was featured as part of the Smithsonian's Green Revolution exhibit. Maham leads art workshops for students and community members in New York City, and is currently developing her first feature, Auntie Express, about a boisterous trio of Pakistani-American aunties taking an epic cross country roadtrip with their beloved food truck. The Home We Make marks her children's book debut. You can learn more about her at mahamkhwaja.com.
Daby Zainab Faidhi is a versatile artist and illustrator acclaimed for her impactful work in animation, illustration, art direction, and painting. Her portfolio features contributions to award-winning film projects, including The Breadwinner, and most recently, co-art directing Merry Little Batman for WarnerBros. Explore her dynamic creations at zainabfaidhi.com.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
* "Written in verse, her powerful book captures both the terror of displacement and brief but meaningful moments of tenderness. Never shying away from the harsher details of migration, neither does she reduce the story to its trauma, creating a nuanced tale that will both inform those lucky enough to enjoy geographic stability and feel familiar to those who aren't. Popping with vivid colors, Faidhi's illustrations have a sweetness that tempers the story's bleaker moments. A moving and enlightening depiction of the refugee experience." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Khwaja's heartfelt verses in some ways reflect her own experiences of moving from Pakistan to the U.S. as a six-year-old. . . . Faidhi's digital illustrations have a cinematic quality to them, not surprising from an animator of The Breadwinner. . . . A poignant look at the longing for home." -- Booklist
Best Books of the Year 2024 - Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature
New Voices Award Winner - Lee & Low Books
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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