This sweet, sensitive story is based on co-author Anoush Elman and his family's experiences while fleeing Afghanistan and living in refugee camps in Europe. At this point in their story, they've been told they may stay in the Netherlands after waiting in refugee centers for five years, and they've just moved into their own home. Roya, the youngest in the family, decides they should celebrate their new house by getting a family pet, so they adopt a little white dwarf rabbit, Mishka, who quickly becomes part of the family. Roya, her three brothers, and her parents all spend time with the bunny, talking about memories of the journey, the grueling trek from Afghanistan to their new home. Roya was only three at the time, and isn't really able to process the journey, but as the family members open up and start talking about their memories, it helps all of them to process their experiences. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the story, but be prepared to feel all the feels. This is a great books for grade school and middle grade students to help increase their emotional intelligence and empathy.

I received a free temporary digital file of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, which you have just read!

#Mishka #NetGalley

First off, my thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido Publishers (I iwas not familar with them previously) for the eARC copy of this YA/children's book. I usually don't read books for younger readers, but I did want to see how the subject of refugees was being treated in Europe for that age reading group.
Quite a line up - 2 co-authors, an illustrator and a translator. I hope they noticed the "there/their" mistake early on in the book before it was published.
A family of 6 escape Afghanistan, and wait 5 years before the Dutch system approves them for permanent residency. The little girl Roya then gets the pet of her dreams once they are allowed to settle in - Mishka the tiny rabbit.
Before she presents a project on the rabbit before her class, she starts to have thoughts about the 6 mos it took her family to make it to the Netherlands. Cars and planes and trains and walking -through the assistance of human smugglers.
This is a children's book (I would say older pre-teens), but there could be a bit more realism to it for me. Pretty much everyone is nice to her and the family in the Netherlands. No one tells her to get out of their country or calls her names.
But over all a good story, and ties the rabbit and her family's travails together nicely in the end.
4 out of 5.

This is a perfect childrens book. The illustrations are gorgeous (please make prints) and the prose is well written and with a purpouse that is not written on the readers nose. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The story of Mishka the bunny and the journey of a young girl through many changes. The prose is beautiful as are the illustrations.

It was definitely a heartwarming book! I loved the illustration in between, but the writing wasn't my favorite - the story has a lot of heart though. I loved how it was able to be intertwined with their new rabbit, definitely making it easier for kids to read.

This story made me tear up! At times, the translation was a little awkward, but I was able to overlook it for the most part. This story is great in regards of representation and the relation it can instill in many Afghan refugees all over the world.