Irene N. Watt’s own experience with the Kindertransport is the basis for Seeking Refuge, a graphic novel for elementary and middle-grade readers.
Set months before the outbreak of World War II, eleven-year-old Marianne is among thousands of jewish children who are rescued from Germany and sent to England. Separated from her family and speaking just a few words of English, Marianne arrives in England not knowing what to expect, or what is expected of her. Both Marianne and readers soon learn that the people taking in refugee children had different motivations. Some demand an older child to work as a servant in their household. Others view refugees as a status symbol. One used Marianne as a replacement for her dead child.
As she is moved from one home to another, and eventually around the country, Marianne continues to write to her mother in Germany. In these letters, she avoids mentioning her nightmares about Nazis, or her fears for the family she left behind in Germany. Like many of the other children in the Kindertransport, she has a mission—to save her family and bring them to England.
The art by Kathryn E. Shoemaker is quite unusual, as silvery-grey pencils are used in place of traditional black inks. The result is very monochromatic, an interesting effect that is initially quite novel. The solid grey creates a sense of sadness that permeates throughout the book, reflecting the mood of 11-year-old Marianne. The monotony of the grey tone, however, begins to interfere as the story progresses. There are moments of deeper sadness, for example, when surrounding Marianne with a darker shade of grey (or even black) would have conveyed a greater sense of her isolation. Similarly, the few moments of joy and hope in Marianne’s life could have been distinguished through the use of more white. In the end, keeping the same grey tones throughout limited the depth of emotions presented on the page.
Which brings us to the lettering in Seeking Refuge.
Lettering is a key element of graphic novels and comics, enhancing plot and dialogue. It guides a reader, visually demonstrating the back-and-forth of a conversation, the uncertainty in a character’s voice, and the sounds of the surrounding environment. Unfortunately, the lettering in Seeking Refuge is a major distraction from the story. Text is stacked oddly in dialogue balloons, single balloons are often used when multiple balloons would be more appropriate, and at times it is not clear who is speaking and who is replying. The same size of font is generally used throughout the book, when different sizes are needed to indicate whispers or shouts. Different fonts could have also been used to distinguish dialogue from sound effects. Unfortunately, this book might be an example of how not to letter a graphic novel.
Seeking Refuge is an important story about refugees, World War II, and the conditions that led to the impending Holocaust. With a set of teaching resources, it could be used to introduce middle-grade readers to current refugee crises, as well as the ones described in the book. Although the art is distracting, Marianne’s voice is powerful and her voice can be heard.
Seeking Refuge
Irene N. Watts (Writer), Kathryn E. Shoemaker (Illustrator)
Winner of the 2017 Vine Award for Canadian Jewish Literature
Tradewind Books (released November 2016)
Softcover
Seeking Refuge
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