The Bicycle: How an Act of Kindness Changed a Young Refugee's Life

by Patricia McCormick, Yas Imamura (Illustrator), Mevan Babakar

Overview

The true story of how a simple act of kindness changed a young refugee’s life—from award-winning author Patricia McCormick with Mevan Babakar.

For generations, Mevan and her family lived in their beloved Kurdistan. But when they are forced to flee by the Iraqi government, Mevan must leave everything behind. Her family travels from country to country in search of safety; and with each stop, Mevan feels more and more alone. Until . . . a stranger’s gift changes everything.

Based on Mevan Babakar’s own childhood, this is a moving reminder of how powerful just one act of kindness can be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063056992
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/07/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,083,088
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Patricia McCormick is a former journalist and a two-time National Book Award finalist whose books include Cut, Sold, Never Fall Down, The Plot to Kill Hitler, the young readers edition of I Am Malala, and the award-winning picture book Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero. Patricia lives in New York. Visit her online at pattymccormick.com.

Yas Imamura is the acclaimed artist of picture books such as Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Winged Wonders by Meeg Pincus, and The Very Oldest Pear Tree by Nancy I. Sanders. She currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon. You can visit her at yasimamura.com.

Mevan Babakar is a social entrepreneur, writer, and poet. She was born in Kurdistan and is a former child refugee. Mevan serves as trustee for the UK for UNHCR, the UK arm of the UN refugee agency, and was selected as a 2023 European Obama Leader for her work in protecting democracy. Learn more about her at mevanbabakar.com.

Editorial Reviews

02/26/2024

Collaborating with McCormick (Sergeant Reckless), Kurdistan-born debut author Babakar tells a story based on her own experience as a child refugee. During young Mevan’s early life, “figs fell from the trees and the air smelled like honeysuckle” in Kurdistan, “a lush and hilly corner in the north of Iraq.” Though she is the littlest girl in her extended family, “the love all around her made her feel ten feet tall.” Then the ruler of Iraq sends soldiers and helicopters to force the people in Kurdistan away and into the mountains. Escaping in a van to Turkey, then by plane to Azerbaijan and by train to Russia, Mevan makes herself successively smaller and even wishes to become invisible. Only in the Netherlands, where the family moves two years later, does she feel welcomed, but she still makes herself small—until she’s given the titular object in an act that makes her feel “a hundred feet tall.” Gouache, watercolor, and crayon illustrations from Imamura (Love in the Library) capture the dappled light of Mevan’s pastoral family home in Kurdistan against other landscapes’ stark geometry and the feeling of possibility represented by the bicycle in this hopeful personal telling. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An epilogue and author’s note conclude. Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

★ "The big impact that a small gift of kindness makes on a child refugee is highlighted in this affecting picture-book memoir. [A]n inspirational push to pedal kindness forward." — Booklist (starred review)

“An important, stirring tale.” — Kirkus Reviews

"A reflective story about the isolation of life as a child refugee and about the enduring effects of an act of kindness." — The Horn Book

"[A] hopeful, personal telling." — Publishers Weekly

Praise for SERGEANT RECKLESS: ★ “Vividly brings to life the story of Sergeant Reckless, the only animal to officially hold military rank in the United States. This endearing story of wartime camaraderie won’t soon be forgotten.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

★ “A rousing success. An engaging slice of history.” — Booklist (starred review)

“[An] intriguing historical tale of an underdog. A warm human (and horse) interest story that feels fresh off a newsreel.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Excellent. This well-illustrated war story will appeal to many, especially fans of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse. A strong selection.” — School Library Journal

“Engaging.” — The Horn Book

“A lively look at wartime animal heroism.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

06/07/2024

Gr 1–4—"His gift made Mevan feel a hundred feet tall," conveys the tone of this story about a young girl as her family flee Kurdistan and the behest of the Iraqi government. They are not welcome in Turkey or Russia, and eventually end up in the Netherlands. There, the gift of a bicycle helps Mevan adjust. The events of this story are true, related in an omniscient third person and based on co-author Babakar's childhood. With McCormick, she shows the complexities of life as an immigrant. Some events, such as not being allowed to stay in a country, make Mevan and her family feel teeny tiny while other experiences—being among all her loving relatives back home—make her feel ten feet tall. The authors use repetitive phrasing of sentences that appear on the same page, which makes a difficult topic more approachable and appropriate for teaching early literacy skills and helping children better comprehend the story. The authors emphasize the poetry of the text over strict literacy rules, but the meaning is clear. VERDICT This picture book explores the complex topic of immigration through the lens of a small child in a meaningful way. Children will appreciate the authentic experience of Mevan while relating to her struggles and joy in receiving a simple gift like a bicycle.—Tracey S. Hodges

School Library Journal

2024-02-17
Co-author and former child refugee Babakar remembers a special joy from her harrowing journey.

Young Mevan adores “lush and hilly” Kurdistan, where her family has lived for generations. Surrounded by loving relatives and community members, the budding poet feels “ten feet tall.” That all changes when Iraqi soldiers push her family out of their home. Depicting the soldiers with uniforms but no guns, the art works with the text to soften the desperation of the situation without glossing over it—a tricky yet essential needle to thread. As Mevan and her parents make an arduous voyage from Kurdistan to Turkey to Azerbaijan to Russia, she feels increasingly small. The art’s muted, earthy palette adeptly captures their alienation while also highlighting the nature (or lack thereof) in their surroundings. After two years in Russia, the family goes to the “green and bright” Netherlands, where a kind handyman named Egbert gives Mevan a bicycle. A wordless spread shows Mevan riding playfully around the neighborhood while her parents and Egbert look on—enjoying a carefree experience at last. Eventually the family finds a permanent home in another country, but they aren’t able to say goodbye to Egbert. Mevan never forgets his kindness, but it’s a bittersweet ending. Relegated to the backmatter is an astonishing revelation: a photo of Babakar and Egbert, along with an epilogue and author’s note stating that they reunited years later.

An important, stirring tale—just be sure to read the backmatter. (Picture-book memoir. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews