Home Is a Door We Carry - by Constantin Satüpo (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

I miss my home; if only I could shrink him with a magic spell and carry him with me! Or what if he was big and strong enough to protect us on our long journey?

After meeting many children forced to flee their homes during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Constantin Satüpo wrote this book to tell their stories. All at once, everything they knew was lost: going to school, meeting with friends, taking music classes, playing sports, and staying with their families in the homes they love.

When wars, climate disasters, poverty, and persecution force people around the world to leave their houses behind, here is a reminder that we carry within us the wisdom and strength to build new homes and new lives--and to help others do the same.

Review Quotes

"Moscow-born author/artist Satüpo, who now lives in Berlin, creates vibrant spreads, favoring earthy tones, combining naïve drawings with textured cutouts, and collaging with childlike simplicity. Writing in unadorned prose, he captures the ubiquitous plight of children fleeing natural disasters, socioeconomic uncertainty, political upheaval, and--far too often--war. Fifty million kids, he notes, were displaced in 2024; kindness, he reminds us, can create welcoming safety. . . . Deftly captures the challenging uncertainty of leaving home and the eventual hope of belonging.

-- Kirkus Reviews

"Its exquisite, atmospheric collage art evoking feelings of displacement, this empathy-building picture book focuses on refugee families around the world. Children walk with bowed heads beside their parents, or sneak a few moments of play with other children, as they head for places far away from their first homes. They imagine that their homes miss them, too; they personify those longed-for places in their minds. Wistful and lyrical, the intermittent prose balances out the tough circumstances implied in quiet threads depicting tanks and hints of violence, imbuing the everychild's innocent wish that all will find homes in time with added power."

-- Foreword Reviews, Starred Review