Wherever I Go

March 2, 2020
Debut author Copp, who has worked in refugee resettlement, creates a hero whose life in an Ethiopian refugee camp is the only one she’s ever known. “I am Queen Abia of the Shimelba Camp,” she announces. Artist Mohammed, making his picture book debut, paints the brown-skinned girl in a vibrant blue dress that stands out against the camp’s dry red dust. She contributes to daily life with panache: “Even though I’m a queen, I still have to pump water. I just sing louder than everyone else.” Mohammed’s documentary-style paintings sweep across the landscape and close in on interior scenes with equal care. His portraits of Abia and her family have classic, sculptural dimensions. At the time of the full moon, Mama retells the story of their escape: “Mama says gunfire crackled all night, but I just cooed at the moon.” Papa looks to the future, saying that they’ll find a new home, a forever home. Queen Abia is wary; in the end, though, Mohammed shows her sitting in an airplane, flying away from the rows of tents with a story of her own to tell—a story of resilience and strength. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary.

Charon Normand-Widmer energetically narrates this story of life in a refugee camp for one imaginative little girl. Abia moves through her daily routine in Ethiopia's Shimelba Camp picturing herself a queen: strong and clever and gentle, as needed. Normand-Widmer's rich and resonant voice expresses Abia's delightful self-confidence in her current circumstances and her uneasiness as she contemplates life beyond the camp in a new forever home. Lively background music sets the tone for this audio picture book production, while well-chosen sound effects fill in the details of the illustrations. Attentive young listeners will hear sounds of wildlife and a gushing water pump, as well as a school bell and sneakers on gravel. N.M. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine