Ebo and his older brother Kwame just want to get to Europe so they can reunite with their sister. But getting to Europe is easier said than done - they must deal with ruthless human traffickers, the brutal Sahara desert, and the bitterly cold and dangerous Mediterranean crossing....in a leaking balloon boat. Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking- while Ebo and Kwame's story might be fiction, their story is the same as many hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing violence and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, desperate to find a better life in Europe.

Yeah, I cried. Bring tissues.

A powerful, timely, important, and skillfully told tale depicting the trials, strength, and humanity of modern refugees. Young orphan Ebo refuses to wait for his older siblings to return, when they leave his village in Ghana search of a better life. Risking everything to cross both land and sea, he discovers the best and worst in those around him, and finds the courage to battle back from tragedy and chart a course for a new life. Colfer and Donkin's' pitch-perfect storytelling is impactful and coupled by the muted tones and precise lines of Rigano's art. A must-have for all library collections.

Illegal is a children's graphic novel depicting the desperate journey of Edo as he leaves his home in Ghana to find his brother and sister. The journey is perilous, long, terrifying, and tragic. Illegal is a fantastic way for parents to introduce, and begin a dialogue with, their children about the the struggle other children might be going through. It portrays the great effort people make to find a better life for themselves. The story was touching and heart-wrenching, and the art only made it more so. Neither the author, nor the illustrator shied away from the seriousness of the material.

This gorgeous graphic novel is about about a boy who is escaping poverty and a miserable existence in Ghana. He is hoping to follow his sister and brother migrating to Europe. It shows how incredibly perilous this journey is for many people. This would be a terrific book to help kids understand the whole concept of why people are willing to get into overloaded boats and sail out into the ocean.

Eoin Colfer is one of my fav authors for kids. To see him take a turn writing a heart wrenching graphic novel is a depressing joy. He tells the poignant tale of Ebo, a little boy from waring african nations, and his attempt to find both his brother and his sister. It will take a long journey that I hope none of your children ever need to take. We follow him on leaky boats, deadly deserts, and rat infested tunnels. All for a chance at a life worth living. This graphic novel wouldn’t be what it is without the work of Andrew Donkin, who takes the heartbreaking words and creates images that will stay in your mind long after reading this treasure. There are so many reasons to read this book. For a look at the life of a child on the run, to explain to others, children and adults, about these types of humanitarian crisis, etc. This is not an easy book, but it is a book that needs read.

Wow. What a compelling, heartbreaking, miraculous story. It is so important for people to see and read with its stunning and emotional artwork.

Gorgeous illustrations accompany this heartbreaking look at the experiences of illegal immigrants. Through the story of Ebo and his brother Kwame, the reader sees every aspect of the difficulties immigrants face. The minimal text and large page illustrations help to capture this so perfectly: for instance, the image of the fishing vessel loaded to bursting with people will stick with me. My main criticism would be that the time jumps made it hard to follow in places and fragmented the story too much, but all the same, I would say this is a must-read for anyone interested in the subject.

Illegal is the story of two brothers’ journey from Africa to Europe. Along the way Ebo, the main character, charms his way by singing, finds a bit of luck, and cheerfully works at whatever job he can find. Ebo is an intelligent and gutsy hero, who, perhaps because of his age, naively manages to think positively and to find solutions when faced with both mundane and life-threatening problems that seem never-ending. Ebo and his brother save one another time and again, but both are repeatedly treated horribly and discarded by people who have far more resources than they do.

This book would be great for upper elementary through high school libraries and classrooms, as it presents a well-thought out and emotionally involving introduction for kids to the refugee crisis in Europe. The illustrations draw the reader in, and effectively show the living conditions and peril the brothers encounter in an appropriate and engaging way. I enthusiastically recommend this for grades 4 and up.

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Illegal is a timeous publication for our classrooms. So many children are already assimilated into classrooms yet many fellow students have little understanding of the terror and drama that their journeys have wrought. As books are windows into the lives of others, Illegal opens these windows wide through brilliant graphic illustration and carefully chosen words. Paired with other current novels like Refugee this is a useful literacy tool for middle grade students.

An absolutely gut-wrenching story of a young boy's journey from Africa to Europe in hopes of a better life.
Ebo leaves his Ghanan village to follow hos brother and sister, who have both gone before him to try and reach Europe, and they hope, a better life. On the way he goes through unimaginable peril and hardships that sadly, hundreds and thousands of people experience every day in search for a better tomorrow.
Gorgeous artwork only adds to the story. A great read that is definitely not just for kids.

This was an excellent graphic novel depicting the importance of the experience of refugees from Africa. Having recently read and re-read such novels as A Long Walk to Water and part of Refugee, I was hoping for a little longer more detailed account than the number of pages here. However, I think the plot was exciting and the length and medium chosen will make this story very accessible to readers that might not make it through something with the length of Refugee. This will be another important add to my library when it arrives next year. I really wish I had this book right now!!

A fascinating, riveting story, told in two timeframes as Ebo makes a treacherous journey in search of his brother and a better life. Heartbreakingly real. This would be a fantastic start point for a class discussion about refugees and immigrants. This book should be read by many, many people, and I'll try and sell it to as many as possible.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the chance to read it.

Illegal is the gut-wrenching, heartbreaking story of two African brothers, Ebo and Kwame, who are making the dangerous journey from Africa to Europe with the hope of reuniting with their sister. Their tale is sweeping and epic as they navigate traveling across the Sahara, into Tripoli, and onto a boat headed, hopefully, to Italy.
Like the best books for children, Illegal does not pull any punches. Eoin Colfer respects his audience and knows that kids can handle scary stories. I wouldn't let my nine-year-old loose on her own with this story, but I would definitely read it with her. Illegal is an excellent graphic novel about an important and timely topic.

Quite good. Well worth the read. Colfer and Donkin shine in this tale of the harrowing journey from Ghana to a possible new life in Europe. This is quite topical, and I rate it highly.

Refugee stories are always terrifying: the simple hope of a better life balanced against the continuing misery of the journey. I really liked the art in this, and I enjoyed the flashback storyline enmeshed with the present-day storyline, but I'm always going to walk away feeling like I'm complicit in every bit of human suffering around the globe just because I exist. The traffickers who purposefully put refugees on sinking, overloaded, broken boats must be some of the worst scum in the world.

From the Publishers:
A powerfully moving graphic novel by New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer and the team behind the Artemis Fowl graphic novels that explores the current plight of undocumented immigrants.
Ebo is alone. His brother, Kwame, has disappeared, and Ebo knows it can only be to attempt the hazardous journey to Europe, and a better life—the same journey their sister set out on months ago.
But Ebo refuses to be left behind in Ghana. He sets out after Kwame and joins him on the quest to reach Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his family.

My Thoughts:
The only think I know about Eoin Colfer is through his graphic novels of his series Artemis Fowl. I have used his graphic novels to push reluctant readers into his books, but I have not actually read his books. What I do know is that there is a mixed reaction to his graphic novels by readers that have read his books, mostly around the way that Giovanni Rigano depicts the title character and other familiar characters to readers of the series.

For these fans, their disappointment is similar to my disappointment to movie versions of books. They cut out large pieces of plot that I think are important, or like Scarlet Letter with Demi Moore as Hester Prynne, the writers completely changed the ending and turned Hawthorne's moral tale into a romance with the lovers riding off into the sunset. I also find it frustrating when the casting is all off. I still have an issue with the casting of Peta from the Mockingjay series, but this is not a graphic novel based off a book.

This is Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano using current events to tell a human story, an original story that is both fiction and truth. The decisions that they make to draw out the helicopter scene, the underwater scenes, the way they are almost creating a documentary and using time as a cliff hanger is powerful. It makes us wonder. Where is the end of the tunnel? Who is holding the light to guide us out? Why does the chasm between those who are living to survive and those who are living to thrive continue to get larger?

The trio does not offer solutions. But they do make noise. Add this to the list of graphic novels that have a political agenda to educate. Now as educators, how do we help our students to not just be educated or "woke" but do something with that understanding.