ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Adding to the swiftly growing pile of picture books about refugees, this slim volume, written by Canada's United Nations ambassador, features dozens of photos of refugee children from all over the world. Simple statements and questions, such as "Sometimes scary things happen to good people," and "Will I be able to sleep in the same place every night?" accompany the photos, which are unobtrusively labeled by location but otherwise have no context. The pictures feature children engaging in familiar activities, such as laughing with friends or mugging for the camera, as well as less common ones, like getting into an overcrowded boat or sleeping on the bare ground. While the smiling faces of children are certainly relatable, this will likely raise more questions than provide answers. But the ultimate message, "I hope someone smiles and says Welcome home.' I hope that someone is you," should encourage little ones to view these children with compassion, and that is valuable.

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Haunting photos of refugee children and adults in different countries (identified in tiny print) and situations pair with spare text that reflects these children's concerns; in the last image, a child in Niger looks straight at the young reader and says, "I hope someone smiles and says 'Welcome home.' I hope that someone is you." A powerful introduction to the world's refugee crisis.

Kirkus Reviews

A glimpse into the lives of child refugees as well as the resilience and endurance they exhibit in many forms.On the first page, readers see a darkly lit, full-page photograph featuring a group of adults and children bundled up and traveling at night in Croatia. Most of the group stares out at readers, and a line of plain text provides thematic context underneath the photo: "Sometimes scary things happen to good people." Each page follows this pattern, presenting, for example, a snapshot of a family posing on a road with their belongings in Rwanda or a child at sea near Greece while the accompanying captions attempt to underscore each situation. McCarney (Canada's ambassador to the U.N. and author of Every Day Is Malala Day, 2014) strings together a series of events occurring in countries as diverse as South Sudan, Hungary, and Iraq into an international quandary. How do children experience life as refugees? In Jordan, two children drag plastic containers behind them as they walk toward a city of tents, while two boys exemplify coolness with one in sunglasses and the other in safety glasses in Cameroon. Though the author aims to highlight a timely issue via sketches of conflict, her first-person narration strives for a universal tone that doesn't quite match the pictures, which hint at more by not revealing much. Peering into a fractured mirror reflects some hope back. (Picture book. 5-9)

School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Gr 1-4A poignant photojournalistic look at the issues confronting refugee children and their families from the author of Every Day Is Malala Day. Photo spreads explore the challenges people, especially children, face when "scary things happen to good people." The text emphasizes universal fears that are magnified by conflict: Where will I live? Will I make friends? Will I be safe? Many of these refugees will make long and uncertain journeys in search of that sought-after new home, but the work ends on a positive note: "I hope someone smiles and says 'Welcome home.' I hope that someone is you." Photos are helpfully labeled by location. Although the images depict distressing situations, none are so explicit as to overly upset the audience. The true power of the book lies in its ability to spark classroom conversations, highlighting the need for cultural awareness and compassion. VERDICT Consider to prompt elementary school discussions on empathy for refugees.Jessica Bushore, Xenia, OH