THE FERRIS WHEEL

This Turkish import follows parallel stories centering on families in vastly different situations.

On the left-hand side of a double-page spread, a mother and son step outside. Their neighborhood has challenges: construction, busy intersections. The mother takes her son’s hand and tells him, “Be careful.” The right-hand side of each spread shows a father and his daughter also facing difficulties: rubble from explosions, tanks in the street. “Be careful,” the father warns. As they pass a candy store, each child eagerly looks inside. “No, dear,” says the mother, “not before lunch.” But the father, seeing broken glass and spilled candy, says, “No dear, not anymore.” The two families continue to engage in similar actions but in very different circumstances. At each step, an adored pet fish that the girl must leave behind floats gently in the sky next to the father/daughter duo. Kozikoğlu’s author’s note states that conflict in her native Turkey inspired the book and explains that the fish symbolizes “longing for the home left behind as well as hope for the future.” Its orange scales are echoed in the compelling art, shining bright and conveying hope. Each family ends up on a Ferris wheel as this tender, cleverly told tale reminds readers that we’re all on the same ride, no matter how different our lives may seem. Characters are tan-skinned and dark-haired.

The disparities may seem stark, but the similarities resonate the deepest.