
To The Other Side
A powerful, award-winning story of two refugees searching for safety
Erika Meza(Author)
Hodder Children's Books (Publisher)
Published on 20. July 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
40 pages
978-1-4449-7178-1 (ISBN)
Description
*Winner of Best Picture Book at the Diverse Book Award 2024*
'A thoughtful, profound, important book' Irish Independent
'A realistic but hopeful look at two children's emigration' Publishers Weekly
Powerful and timely, To The Other Side explores the journey of two young refugee children in search of safety. Perfect for opening up conversations about conflict and war, encouraging empathy and understanding.
A young boy and his older sister have left home to play a game. To win, she tells him, they must travel across endless lands together and make it to the finish line.
Each child imagines what might be waiting for them across the border: A spotted dog? Ice cream! Or maybe a new school. But the journey is difficult, and the monsters are more real than they imagined.
And when it no longer feels like a game, the two children must still find a way to forge ahead, and reach the other side.
A stunning, symbolic and emotionally rich picture book about the spirit and strength it takes to leave your home behind. Beautifully brought to life by award-winning author-illustrator Erika Meza.
Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal, the Jhalek Prize, the Diverse Book Awards, the Inclusive Books for Children Award and the Little Rebels Award, and selected by Empathy Lab for The 2024 Read for Empathy Collection.
Praise
'One of the best picture books I've read in recent memory' Steve Antony
'Perceptive and exquisitely illustrated' Flavia Z. Drago
'Beautiful. Beautifully illustrated. Beautifully told' Jarvis
'An incredible book' Mark Bradley
'Simply impeccable' Steven Lenton
'An instant classic' Celine Kiernan
'A thoughtful, profound, important book' Irish Independent
'A realistic but hopeful look at two children's emigration' Publishers Weekly
Powerful and timely, To The Other Side explores the journey of two young refugee children in search of safety. Perfect for opening up conversations about conflict and war, encouraging empathy and understanding.
A young boy and his older sister have left home to play a game. To win, she tells him, they must travel across endless lands together and make it to the finish line.
Each child imagines what might be waiting for them across the border: A spotted dog? Ice cream! Or maybe a new school. But the journey is difficult, and the monsters are more real than they imagined.
And when it no longer feels like a game, the two children must still find a way to forge ahead, and reach the other side.
A stunning, symbolic and emotionally rich picture book about the spirit and strength it takes to leave your home behind. Beautifully brought to life by award-winning author-illustrator Erika Meza.
Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal, the Jhalek Prize, the Diverse Book Awards, the Inclusive Books for Children Award and the Little Rebels Award, and selected by Empathy Lab for The 2024 Read for Empathy Collection.
Praise
'One of the best picture books I've read in recent memory' Steve Antony
'Perceptive and exquisitely illustrated' Flavia Z. Drago
'Beautiful. Beautifully illustrated. Beautifully told' Jarvis
'An incredible book' Mark Bradley
'Simply impeccable' Steven Lenton
'An instant classic' Celine Kiernan
Reviews / Votes
One of the best picture books I've read in recent memory. Astounding. -- Steve Antony, creator of Mr Panda A thoughtful, profound, important book * Irish Independent * The perfect starting point to open up conversations about love and war * Belfast Telegraph * This book is beautiful. Beautifully illustrated. Beautifully told. -- Jarvis, creator of The Boy with Flowers in His Hair I cannot recommend it enough - it is an incredible book -- Mark Bradley, creator of Bumble and Snug The palette, the characters, the compositions, the message and author's note are simply impeccable -- Steven Lenton This perceptive and exquisitely illustrated picture book will leave its readers questioning the complex reality of child migration A gorgeously rendered, heartbreaking look at one family's. migration experience * Kirkus Reviews * Powerful . . . a realistic but hopeful look at two children's emigration * Publishers Weekly * A powerful and moving story.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hachette Children's Group
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 3 to 5 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 282 mm
Width: 225 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
228 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4449-7178-1 (9781444971781)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2023
1st Edition
Hodder Children's Books
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Erika was born in Mexico and developed a taste for eclairs in Paris before moving to the UK to teach drawing. She won a scholarship to study in L'Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs, where she learned to combine bold colour and mark-making with poetry. When Erika isn't drawing you'll find her plotting ways to teach her cat to play the piano.