A thoughtfully illustrated picture book, made in partnership with Save the Children, and based on the real lives of Rohingya children living in the refugee camps of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority of 1.3 million, formerly living in the Rakhine State within Myanmar. In summer 2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled violence in their home and sought safety in neighboring Bangladesh. More than half of those fleeing were children.
The story centers around Faisal, a young Rohingya boy in a Bangladeshi refugee camp, who finds a bird with a broken wing and decides to take care of it with his sisters. Life in the camp is not always easy, so the children are thrilled to have a pet to look after. But as the bird's wing slowly heals, they are faced with a difficult choice. Can they let go of something they dearly love?
Themed around universal childhood joys that are relatable by all children, the story helps young children to empathize with situations that are different than their own. With artwork that authentically depicts life in a crowded refugee camp, 'The Unexpected Friend - A Rohingya Children's Story' is a fitting book to introduce children to social justice, specifically the worldwide refugee humanitarian crisis. Profits from the sale of this book will be donated to Save the Children's Rohingya Relief Fund.