Review by Booklist Review
In a refugee camp in Peshawar, on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Lina, 10, rushes barefoot to where relief workers throw used clothing to the desperate crowd. In the dust, she finds just one beautiful sandal that fits her perfectly. Then she spots Feroza wearing the matching sandal. After initial hostility, the girls make a plan to share, and as each of them wears both sandals on alternate days, they become friends. They eventually part when Lina and her mother are among the few who get to go to America. The story, based on the authors' experiences working with refugees, uses simple words to tell the facts. The thickly brushed, double-page paintings show the long lines of desperate refugees and then close-ups of the two Muslim girls, who reach beyond themselves to share their memories of families lost in war, their suffering, and their dreams of a new home. This is the personal drama behind the daily news.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Based on Mohammed's work with refugees in the city of Peshawar (on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border), this poignant story centers on two Afghani girls, each of whom ends up with half of a pair of sandals after relief workers bring used clothing to their refugee camp. Lina and Feroza agree to share the shoes, taking turns wearing them and sometimes each wearing one. They also share their stories: Lina tells of her family's midnight flight after her father and sister were killed, and Feroza responds, "I have only my grandmother now." After Lina learns that her family will be able to relocate to America, the girls go back and forth about who should keep the sandals, and ultimately decide to each keep one to better remember the other. Paired with Williams's (Circles of Hope) straightforward narrative, Chayka's (The Pink House at the Seashore) acrylic paintings, rendered in broad swaths of color, offer a glimpse of the seldom viewed, chore-filled lives of children in a refugee camp, where only boys can attend school and crowds fight for supplies and clothing. The bright yellow sandals, each decorated with a blue flower, shine against the muted desert landscape, a well-chosen and meaningful symbol of both privation and hope. Ages 7-10. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Two Afghani girls living in a refugee camp in Pakistan find one another when relief workers unload used clothing and everyone scrambles to grab what they can. Lina, 10, manages to locate one brand-new sandal, but soon sees that the matching shoe is already on the foot of another girl. The next day, while washing clothes in the river, they meet again and decide to share the sandals, taking turns wearing them. As Lina and Feroza's friendship grows, readers catch glimpses of their day-to-day lives: they get water at a community well, peek into the school windows where only the boys study, and share painful memories and dreams of the future. When Lina's family's name is finally on the list to go to America, the girls face yet another separation. Feroza hands Lina one sandal-to remember-and Lina promises they will share again in America. Double-page acrylic paintings in muted colors enhance the well-written narrative, depicting the desert setting as well as camp conditions and cultural details, such as the characters' clothing. The girls' changing emotions are clearly conveyed through the text's understated tone and the realistic pictures. This poignant story of loss, friendship, and sharing introduces readers to the realities of children growing up in refugee camps.-Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
By keeping the focus squarely on their child characters, Williams and Mohammed illuminate the plight of refugee children without preaching or pontificating. When aid workers deliver a shipment of clothes, both Lina and Ferozi claim a sandal. When Ferozi's grandmother points out the foolishness of wearing only one shoe, the girl offers her sandal to Lina. Ten-year-old Lina makes the best of what could have been a difficult and disappointing situation and suggests a different solution: The girls will share the pair, each wearing them on alternating days. As the days pass, readers see their growing friendship and observe the harsh conditions of the camp. Earth tones predominate, reflecting the dusty environment while also offering, in some scenes, a sense of warmth. The story ends with the friends' separation. Lina's family has received permission to emigrate to the United States. The girls' decision to split the sandals once more ensures that their friendship won't be forgotten, and it seems likely that their story will linger in listeners' minds as well. Touching and true to life. (Picture book. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
