The Red Suitcase

In a world of dragons, some of whom are fierce and war-like, one small, green dragon takes his empty suitcase on an epic journey, over hills and valleys, through rain and danger and risks, over a sea to a strange place where he can feel safe. When he finally arrives, he is faced with a lot of other young dragons who aren’t really interested in his story, until one is friendly and shares his chocolates. The ‘red suitcase’ is a place of refuge during the journey and is used as a sledge, as a boat, and as a way to keep the rain off. There are great dangers – a large sleeping dragon, crowds of people who must not notice him, barbed wire, and, always, loneliness. This world of fear and horror makes an allegory of homelessness and the refugee crisis, and my only slight criticism of what is a beautifully produced book, is that the message is so subtle that it might be missed if used with very young children who won’t quite understand all the fine-drawn subtleties. The illustrations are beautifully done with vast white spaces and the small dragon’s adventures front and centre on each page. Little birds help him along the way, and he does find safety and friendship. A beautiful book with hope in the end.