Many of us in the UK may be aware of the Kindertransport mission that helped thousands of children flee from Nazi-controlled areas of Europe shortly before the outbreak of World War Two. What may be less well-known is the flight of children escaping the Spanish Civil War. Today I’m looking at two recent children’s books that shine a light on this experience yet interestingly, neither of these originate in Spain. The first is a moving picture book that was first published in Mexico: Mexique, written by Chilean journalist and writer María José Ferrada and illustrated by Spaniard Ana Penyas, translated by Elisa Amado.

Mexique by María José Ferrada, illustrated by Ana Penyas, translated by Elisa Amado (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2020)

Mexique was the name of a ship that set sail from Bordeaux in France on 27 May 1937. On board were 456 youngsters, children of Spanish Republicans opposed to Franco. The ship was headed for Veracruz in Mexico, and from there the children were transported by train to Morelia on the other side of the country. The children were told they would remain there for a few months until the danger had passed. With the events that followed, for many, that temporary stay was to become permanent. This picture book tells the story of that voyage.

The illustrations in the book at a first glance appear to be pencil drawings with splashes of subdued orangey-reds with the occasional use of collage for clothing. But you need to look more closely at the faces of the children. In the historical notes at the back of the book, we are told that the images in this book are based on photographs of the “Children of Morelia” and the ship that brought them to Mexico; the faces are based on the children in the photos. I think this is what makes this book so poignant; it really makes you think about the individuals involved. Told in the first-person from the perspective of one of the children, we learn of the heart-wrenching decisions of the parents to send their children away, and the anguish the children experienced, not fully understanding the situation yet being torn from their parents.

The historical notes at the back are really interesting and help to place this ocean voyage in context.

This review appeared on the World Kid Lit Blog during September's #WorldKidLitMonth..