The Colour of Home

Hassan, a refugee from Somalia, spends his first day at his new school in Britain. Everything is so different and it is hard for him to respond to friendliness from his new classmates. His imaginative teacher invites him to paint a picture and in this way Hassan is at last able to communicate the terrible things that happened to his family in Somalia when his home was burnt and his uncle shot. Hoffman’s empathic text conveys the horror without it being overwhelming for a young age group and she also conveys hope as Hassan discovers the possibility of a new home where he may feel safe. Littlewood’s expressive, painterly illustrations are a sensitive response to this important story, one that came out of Hoffman’s research with many refugee families.