Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
July 5, 2015/in Picture Book 8-10 Junior/Middle /by Angie Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 213 July 2015
Reviewer: Gill Robins
ISBN: 978-0750292863
Price: £8.99
Publisher: Wayland
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: 8-10 Junior/Middle
Length: 32pp
Buy the Book

Navid's Story

Author: Andy GlynneIllustrator: Jonathan Topf

Told in his own words, this is the story of Navid, his flight from Iran and his arrival in England as a political refugee. The book started life as part of the BBC Learning Zone’s Seeking Refuge animated series before making the crossover into print.

The narrative has authenticity and the graphics are certainly distinctive, but I couldn’t help feeling that the animation from which the book derives is the more effective of the two. Part of its problem rests with the frequent tension between the vocabulary of a 16-year-old: ‘I could see the concern on my mum’s face’ and that of the four-year-old child reliving the experience: ‘I was upset for nearly the whole journey’.

The use of colour certainly conveys his flight from fear to freedom, but the graphics add to the confusion – they seem to be designed to capture the attention of younger readers, which is belied by the serious content of the narrative and the skill that is needed to read the text independently.

The book has a place in an Upper Key Stage 2 classroom, but not as general reading material. We live in a time when much of the world is migrating and children are surrounded by its media coverage. Properly contextualised, the book could be helpful in developing an understanding of why people leave everything and travel half way round the world in search of safety. Without contextualising, it runs the risk of being just another book about immigration. In the current social climate, that could actually be harmful, so use this book as an information text and guide the discussions that it will provoke.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill2015-07-05 16:33:522021-08-06 17:12:31Navid’s Story

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Choice and reading relevant to their interests = reading for pleasure

June 11, 2025

Ross Montgomery wins the 2025 FCBG Children’s Book Award

June 7, 2025

Michael Rosen and Emily Gravett IBBY UK nominations for Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2026

June 4, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
Mad About Monkeys Outdoor Opposites
Scroll to top