Yuvi's Candy Tree

Gr 1—3—"I escaped on a donkey in the dark," begins this picture book based on a true story. Five-year-old Yuvi and her family flee war-torn East Africa and make it to a Sudanese refugee camp, where they are aided by Operation Moses, an Israeli rescue program for Ethiopian Jews in the 1980s and 1990s. Depicted in a folk-art style, the story shows the family as they journey for days through the desert with Yuvi strapped onto a donkey with a harness. They face many dangers before reaching the airlift, including robbers who attack repeatedly. But rather than fear permeating the pages, Yuvi's grandmother repeats, "We are going to Jerusalem. We have angels with us. We'll fly home." Her words echo the gentleness of the earth-toned illustrations, which are primitive in style but heartfelt. Yuvi's visions of angels and sweet things to eat lead her to mistake the white rescue workers for celestial beings, and the sweet orange trees in Jerusalem for candy. An innocence that is easily misinterpreted by contemporary ears is a joy to hear. For libraries looking for immigration, Jewish migration, and refugee stories, this is a lovely addition.—Sara Lissa Paulson, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City