MISHKA

An Afghan family, having been recently granted stay in the Netherlands, decides to adopt a pet.

Accompanied by her older brothers, 9-year-old Roya heads to the pet store, where she picks out a white dwarf rabbit, whom she names Mishka. The family finds in Mishka a symbol of permanence and safety. Roya, who was only 3 when the family fled Kabul, confides in the bunny, telling him that they had to leave because her father broke the law by teaching female students and because her parents were both free thinkers. Mishka’s presence helps the family cope with their pain and prompts Roya to ask more questions about their arduous journey across continents by plane, train, bus, and foot, through various Dutch refugee centers, schools, and continued denials for citizenship. Deftly weaving in moments of humor, joy, and sadness, the authors offer a gentle, child’s-eye view of the dangers the family faced, with underlying implications of trauma. Based on Elman’s own experiences and translated from Dutch by Forest-Flier, the narrative makes space for Roya’s long-delayed processing of her memories, as well as the anti-immigrant sentiment she encounters and the relief of belonging and home amid deep familial love. Schaap’s soft illustrations, set against brown backgrounds, convey warmth and calm; details in both the art and the text indicate that the family is Muslim.

Profoundly and charmingly moving.