Behind Sami, the Syrian skyline is full of smoke. The boy follows his family and all his neighbours in a long line, as they trudge through the sands and hills to escape the bombs that have destroyed their homes. But all Sami can think of is his pet pigeons - will they escape too? When they reach a refugee camp and are safe at last, everyone settles into the tent city. But though the children start to play and go to school again, Sami can't join in. When he is given paper and paint, all he can do is smear his painting with black. He can't forget his birds and what his family has left behind. One day a canary, a dove, and a rose finch fly into the camp. They flutter around Sami and settle on his outstretched arms. For Sami it is one step in a long healing process at last. A gentle yet moving story of refugees of the Syrian civil war, My Beautiful Birds illuminates the ongoing crisis as it affects its children. It shows the reality of the refugee camps, where people attempt to pick up their lives and carry on. And it reveals the hope of generations of people as they struggle to redefine home.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised by the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature. It was recognised in the One San Diego Selection category by the One Book for Kids. It also was recognised by the Scbwi Crystal Kite Award. It was recognised in the Resource Links Highlights - Refugees and Immigrants category by the Canadian School Libraries Journal. Also it was recognised by the Unicef Usavoice "The Perfect Gifts for the Holidays Books that Inspire" Selection. It was recognised by the Quill & Quire Book of the Year. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Middle East Book Award. It was recognised in the Children's Book of the Year category by the New York Times Book Review. It was recognised in the Best Picture Book category by the New York Public Library Awards. It was recognised by the Notable Books for a Global Society.

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2017 by Pajama Press .

Suzanne Del Rizzo is the award-winning author/illustrator of My Beautiful Birds and the illustrator of several other books for children. Suzanne's dimensional illustrations use polymer clay, acrylic, and other mixed media to bring rich texture and imagination to her books. She lives in Oakville, Ontario. Suzanne Del Rizzo is the award-winning author/illustrator of My Beautiful Birds and the illustrator of several other books for children. Suzanne's dimensional illustrations use polymer clay, acrylic, and other mixed media to bring rich texture and imagination to her books. She lives in Oakville, Ontario.