After providing some background information on World War II, share the story of Sadako, discussing how the life of this little girl in Japan was affected by war and how her experiences compared to Hassan's. The biggest change for the young boy is the lack of colour in his new British home compared to his in Somalia, therefore in encouraged to draw and paint pictures of his old home in order to make him feel more welcome and comfortable in his new classroom and home. However, with the help of his parents, his teacher, and an interpreter, he uses painting as a way to communicate and help in adjusting to his new home in America. Hassan has only recently arrived in the United States after he and his family were forced to flee Somalia, and he deeply misses the colourful landscape of his former home in Africa. And he finds that there are many things to like about his new home in America. When he begins school he has nobody who understands him and finds it extremely difficult to blend in with his peers. Eventually, he finds himself playing with new friends and finding new color in his new home. It's great. Through the translator Hassan shares his experiences with the teacher, gradually he becomes less homesick, makes new friends and starts to notice the colours that surround him in his new American home. The Colour of Home is a book primarily looking at the issue of refugee children. When he finished Miss Kelly [his teacher] had tears in her eyes. Although I am slightly puzzled on what age group would be appropriate for this story, due to the vivid details of war, it tells a true account of a real life refuge situation. This remarkably moving picture book follows first-grader Hassan through his first few days at school. This sympathetic description of a Somalian boy named Hassan coming to terms with living (with his family) as a refugee in England helps Lower Key Stage 2 children understand the many challenges refugees face - food, language, customs, friendships - whilst simultaneously explaining the story behind Hassan's need to depart from his own country, a place he and his family never wanted to leave but were forced to flee from to escape violence and death. The young boy has seen and heard some terrible things in his home country and therefore needs special care and attention. TeacherVision is part of the FEN Learning family of educational and reference sites for parents, teachers and students. Activities may conclude on a fun note with a game of Story Charades, in which the titles of books that the class has read are communicated through nonverbal gestures. Welcome back. With the help of certified and current classroom teachers, TeacherVision creates and vets classroom resources that are accurate, timely, and reflect what teachers need to best support their students. Formative assessments give... Use this end-of-the-year activity to support students to reflect on the progress that they have made this school year. This remarkably moving picture book follows a boy, Hassan, through his first few days at school. Hassan has only recently arrived in the United States after he and his family were forced to flee Somalia, and he deeply misses the colorful landscape of his former home in Africa. We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. Hassan has come to the U.S. from Somalia. But with the help of his parents, an understanding teacher, and a school art project, Hassan finds that by painting a picture of his old home and sharing his story, his homesickness and the trauma of leaving a war-torn country are lessened. A picture is worth a thousand words and, in this case, helps a young immigrant Somali boy make the transition into his new culture. Having moved from his homeland in Somalia, Hassan begins school in ‘gray’ England, feeling lost, sad and not understanding a word of English around him. It's a similar theme to Elizabeth Laird's 'Welco. He is struggling with everything being so different from his home … Our best resources for teaching and learning. Cancel anytime. This is a great book to explore when discussing what home means to different people and to discuss with children the difficulty of seeking asylum from a war torn country. Learn About the Seasons, by Maria Denjongpa and Phurba Namgay, Diverse Kid-Lit Link-Up – 3 February 2018, Diverse Kid-Lit Link-Up – 4 November 2017, The Image of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as reflected in Philippine Children’s Literature – by Ann Grace B. Bansig and Darrel Manuel O. 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The Colour Of Home is a very touching story about a Somalian boy called Hassan who moves to the UK with his family as a refugee seeking asylum. This book is a wonderful story about Hassan, a Somali boy, who is brand new to the United States. While every land displays color in its own unique way, Hassan's perception of America as dull and gray is as much a function of his homesickness and his traumatic war experience as it may be of geographic or physical differences in his new home. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published So beautifully written and illustrated, this sensitive picture-book offers a focal point for children, who, increasingly, can empathise with its story through personal experience. It shows us how life in other countries is difficult and that children perhaps cannot leave it behind. This sympathetic description of a Somalian boy named Hassan coming to terms with living (with his family) as a refugee in England helps Lower Key Stage 2 children understand the many challenges refugees face - food, language, customs, friendships - whilst simultaneously explaining the story behind Hassan's need to depart from his own country, a place he and his family never wanted to leave but were forced to flee from to escape violence and death. She paints a picture of a picture painted, echoing a harsh reality that some young children have been unfortunate enough to experience. The painting revealed the reasons behind why he had to move to England with his family. A new boy, Hassan, joins a class in an English school. professionally created teacher resources. This book is about a boy named Hassan whose family came from Somalia because of war that struggles with finding comfort in his new home. In the afternoon Hassan’s class teacher gives him some paper and a paint brush for him to paint a picture. What I enjoyed most, was the authenticity of the story. American school boards could learn much about enlightened mentoring through how the teacher finds resources to welcome Hassan, the boy with no English but plenty of artistic expression. One of my favourite aspects of the book is that the characters in the background were of different ethnic groups, which is very true for UK British primary schools and can often be overlooked. Each child may then create a Color Rebus of Home, in which color metaphors like those above are completed with images they connote. He is used to having lessons ‘out of doors from early in the morning' until the sun became ‘too hot at midday’ but in America he is required to stay ‘indoors’ until playtime. It portrays some of the issues that arise, both simple misunderstandings and also more complex issues, which need to be addresses by a specialist. His astute teacher realizes he needs help in expressing his grief and fear so she brings in a translator who helps him work through his emotions. He and his family were forced to flee from Somalia because of the war; he misses the colourful landscape in his former home and this is one of the reasons why he is having a difficult time trying to adjust his lifestyle. :). I really liked that Hassan was able to use art to express past traumas and bring part of his old home into the USA. He sets about painting his house and family back home – ‘a lovely picture’ – but then he paints in what happened to his house and family – the fire and bloodshed, and his uncle ‘smudged out’. This story would offer something for children to think about as they learn about what it's like to have to flee from a country because of hardship and war. The biggest change for the young boy is the lack of colour in his new British home compared to his in Somalia, therefore in encouraged to draw and paint pictures of his old home in order to make him feel more welcome and comfortable in his new c. This a story of a little boy who moves to the UK from Somalia, therefore depicts the boys immediate struggle with his change of surroundings. However with the help of the teacher and the school's art project Hassan finds that art helped him share his story and feelings. Hassan has only recently arrived in the United States after he and his family were forced to flee Somalia, and he deeply misses the colorful landscape of his former home in Africa. Required fields are marked *. We’d love your help. And he finds that there are many things to like about his new home in America. Miss Kelly, his teacher has the class paint after lunch. But with the help of his parents, an understanding teacher, and a school art project, Hassan, This remarkably moving picture book follows first-grader Hassan through his first few days at school. As he paints a picture of his old home in Somalia, he's reminded of the terror of it and the teacher realizes the difficulty that he must be going through. The following day, Hassan wanted to draw another picture to take home to his family. Hassan arrives at his new school with next to no English, afraid and tentative to explore his new environment. This is a perfect book for highlighting the issue of a refugee child. If school isn't in session as normal, and you have students at home who need to stay focused on learning, don't fret! With the help of his teacher, a translator, a new friend and a supportive family he is able to begin to see brightness that has been shadowed by violence and loss. The Colour of Home is a book primarily looking at the issue of refugee children. Vivid watercolor paintings portray not only Hassan in his classroom and at home, but also the paintings he creates himself. And the flat we live in is grey too, with brown furniture. With the help of a translator, the class teacher and the children in his class, Hassan begins to settle in and feels a little more at ease, he see’s a more colourful aspect to life as he did in Somalia and soon he’s smiling and making new friends. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Be the first to ask a question about The Color of Home. My heart was wrenched by the fact that Hassan could not bring his cat with him when the family relocated. He eventually warms to living in Britain as he makes more friends and decorates his new home with images of his old one. She paints a picture of a picture painted, echoing a harsh reality that some young children have been unfortunate enough to experience. With the help of a translator, the class teacher and the children in his class, Hassan begins to settle in and feels a little more at ease, he s. Having moved from his homeland in Somalia, Hassan begins school in ‘gray’ England, feeling lost, sad and not understanding a word of English around him. The genre of this book would be realistic fiction. Great book about diversity and kids being in new settings.