Books about refugees and asylum seekers for younger children

Since asylum can be a confusing issue for children (and even adults), here are some books that explore what it really means to flee your home and have to start your life over.

An illustration from the front cover of The Journey

These books are mainly aimed at younger children.

  • The Girl at the Front of the Class

    by Onjali Q Raúf, illustrated by Pippa Curnick 

    2024 4 to 7 years 

    • Picture books

    A boy wonders why his new classmate won’t join in and looks so sad, then discovers she has had to flee her home and everything she knows. A gorgeously illustrated book celebrating being welcoming and kind. 

  • Wishes

    by Mượn Thị Văn, illustrated by Victo Ngai 

    2021 4 to 7 years 

    • Picture books

    A story expressed in muted colour and with a wonderful focus on the small details of this Vietnamese family’s life as they prepare for a perilous journey, Wishes is a deeply moving story told with very minimal text about a child’s experience of being a refugee. 

  • Everybody’s Welcome

    by Patricia Hegarty, illustrated by Greg Abbott 

    2017 4 to 9 years 

    • Picture books
    • Poetry and rhyme

    A little mouse, and a medley of animals, create a home where everybody is welcome, no matter who they are. With beautiful illustrations and rhyming text, the poignant message of tolerance and inclusivity is integral to this heart-warming tale of love, friendship and hope. 

  • Lily and the Polar Bears

    by Jion Sheibani 

    2018 4 to 9 years 

    • Funny
    • Picture books

    This charming, funny, sweet picture book combines concerns about arctic erosion, animal conservation and immigration in a lovely story about polar bears. It’s sure to be a favourite with little ones, who will love Sheibani’s illustration.

  • The Suitcase

    by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros 

    2019 4 to 9 years 

    A strange animal arrives with a big suitcase, very tired after travelling a long way. But what is really in his suitcase? A powerful, succinct story about kindness and empathy.

  • Ballerina Dreams

    by Michaela and Elaine De Prince, illustrated by Ella Okstad 

    2017 5 to 9 years 

    • Around the world

    This heart-warming true story about working hard to achieve your dreams will inspire children to believe that they can be whoever they want to be.

  • Refuge

    by Anne Booth, illustrated by Sam Usher 

    2015 5 to 9 years 

    This beautiful book follows Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus as they flee into Egypt as refugees. The gorgeous drawings and Booth’s sparse, poetic words make this a Christmas book to treasure.

  • The Day War Came

    by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb 

    2018 5 to 9 years 

    • Picture books

    A heartbreaking picture book that perfectly explains the displacement of people, and especially children, in war, and the trauma experienced by people forced to leave their homes. 

  • The Silence Seeker

    by Ben Morley, illustrated by Carl Pearce 

    2010 5 to 14 years 

    • Picture books

    This story explores the vibrancy and diversity of city life through gritty, yet child-friendly illustrations that are beautifully atmospheric and evocative.

  • Dreams of Freedom

    by Amnesty International 

    2015 5 to 14 years 

    • Around the world
    • Picture books

    An essential book that not only introduces children to the importance of human rights, freedom, and the history of these concepts, but also to a wonderful variety of illustrations.

  • Wisp: A Story of Hope

    by Zana Fraillon and Grahame Baker Smith 

    2019 5 to 9 years 

    • Picture books

    A haunting and immersive story of hope in the darkest of places, this picture book tells younger readers about a child’s life in a refugee camp. 

  • Azzi in Between

    by Sarah Garland 

    2015 5 to 14 years 

    • Around the world
    • Graphic novels

    This is a moving tale of a refugee family told in graphic novel style and so appealing to a wide range of younger readers.

  • Someone Just Like You

    by Helen Docherty, illustrated by David Roberts 

    2023 5 to 9 years 

    • Non-fiction
    • Picture books

    Picture book exploring how whoever you are and wherever you live there is someone in this world just like you. Joyful. 

  • King of the Sky

    by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin 

    2018 5 to 14 years 

    • Picture books

    A boy has come to start his life in a new country where nothing is familiar, apart from the racing pigeons kept by his neighbour. Soon, he has a pigeon of his own called King of the Sky: will he win the competition? A touching, quiet tale of community.

  • A Bear Called Paddington

    by Michael Bond, illustrated by Peggy Fortnum 

    2003 5 to 9 years 

    • Classics
    • Funny
    • Picture books

    Paddington, the brown bear from darkest Peru, is found by the Brown family on Paddington Station with his hat, duffel coat and marmalade sandwiches.

  • The Journey

    by Francesca Sanna 

    2018 5 to 14 years 

    • Around the world
    • Non-fiction
    • Picture books

    What is it like to leave everything behind and travel somewhere strange? This incredibly poignant story introduces the concept of refugees with straightforward language, tackling this difficult subject with truth, clarity and strikingly beautiful illustrations.

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