Poignant and chilling, this allegory is an astonishing, powerful,
and timely story about refugees, xenophobia, racism,
multiculturalism, social politics, and human rights. When the
people of an island find a man sitting on their shore, they
immediately reject him because he is different. Fearful to the
point of delusional paranoia, the islanders lock him in a goat pen,
refuse him work, and feed him scraps they would normally feed a
pig. As their fears progress into hatred, they force him into the
sea. The charcoal illustrations complement the sparse and
beautifully understated narrative.
This is a bleak, dark, sad book and a useful prompt for discussion. Books for Keeps
Picture book illustrator Armin Greder was born in Switzerland and migrated to Brisbane, Australia in 1971. Armin has worked as a graphic designer and currently lectures tertiary art students, illustrating picture books in between teaching and other interests. As a child Armin spent a lot of time drawing in the back of his exercise books when he should have been paying attention in class. In books such as The Great Bear and An Ordinary Day his art reflects his European background. Charcoal often features in his work.
