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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
I Spy by Hazem Nassar is a children's picture book in which a little girl, Amira, has her play interrupted by the horrors of war. Amira is on a swing among fruit trees, in what is described as her safe place, beyond the sounds of battle and explosions. Amira loves to play the familiar game of I Spy, and she does this on her own as her swing sways gently. She spies different shades of green, she sees purples and oranges, and she looks up to a clear sky to admire the blues and the white. However, when she spies something that she does not recognize, her world turns black. In slow and confusing steps back to consciousness, her observations of color, movement, and sounds punctuate a reality that no child should endure.
I Spy by Hazem Nassar is the first children's picture book I have read that directly addresses small children living in a contemporary war zone. It's amazing to me how Nassar created a visual story that depicts what Amira sees and feels in a way that is entirely age-appropriate for younger readers and is also uniquely easy to understand. Nassar takes a topic that, as a parent, I would have a lot of difficulty discussing, and delivers it in a format that a child can totally absorb. The illustrations are in a full color cartoon style, breathing life into Amira's world where words are only minimally necessary. The story does ultimately end happily for Amira. Sadly, that is not always the case, but Nassar has gifted us with a way to start the conversation. Very highly recommended.