Allen & Unwin ISBN 9781760634018 £12.99
For those who read The Island by the same author, this is another hard hitting, thought provoking wordless picture book with a powerful message. This one, I think, would suit not only upper end primary years but also early secondary pupils. In addition, the context and content have a dual audience too and adults should read it. The book tells the important story of what happened in the Mediterranean when a small vessel sank off the Sicilian Coast with three hundred migrants on board. The illustrations are unflinching in their subject matter, but are not gratuitous in any way. Rather they tell the story of the shared sea that has become a mass grave through devastating images of swirling charcoal. The story is illuminated in words in the afterword by Alessandro Leogrande. This book offers an opportunity to discuss issues of migration, injustice and refugees and the risks and choices that have to be made in harrowing circumstances. The Mediterranean demonstrates that an image can tell a thousand stories and that words can, at times, not be necessary to make people aware of the plights of thousands across the world today. Age range: 9-13.
Isabel Macdonald, Professional Tutor, Institute of Education