illegal by eoin colfer and andrew donkin

The grownups less so: illicit smugglers, neglectful relations, and perhaps the authors of this graphic novel.

Events suggest not, but a 12-year-old boy can be excused for not exhibiting prudence. Left to one side is whether Italy, or any other nation, has a right to police its borders, or whether Ebo was wise to take off on his own in the first place. Ebo and his brother are not fleeing persecution or violence, but extreme poverty. Illegal begins with a well-known quote from holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, to the effect that no human can be “illegal.” Maybe some other word, like “undocumented,” would be better, but there’s no clue what that other word should be. If the craft is a rubber dinghy or an overloaded cargo boat, they’ll take their chances and hope it doesn’t capsize. Now they must cross the Sahara in a decrepit truck and wait for any seaworthy craft to carry them to Italy. Against all odds, he does find Kwame in the sprawling city of Agadez, in central Niger. One way or another he’ll find his brother and together they’ll locate a new home for themselves and their sister. Now Kwame has disappeared also, after leaving a note that he’ll send money-in a helicopter-as soon as he reaches Europe and gets a job. First Sisi left, and the village bullies are taunting Ebo about how she may be making her money. Now their uncle “takes care” of them, though the only thing he’s interested in taking care of is the bottle. Sourcebooks, 2018, 122 pages.Įbo, his brother Kwame, and their sister are orphans since their mother died. Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, artwork by Giovanni Rigano. New or gently used small plush toys are also welcomed and needed.Illegal, a graphic novel, puts readers into the perils of a refugee from Africa while stimulating important questions about refugees worldwide. Please bring a new or gently used early reader/board book/picture book (English, bi-lingual, or Spanish) to donate to our on-going Book Drive for Unaccompanied Minors, in partnership with Elizabeth Cruces, University of Houston. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his family. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. He sets out after Kwame and joins him on the quest to reach Europe. His brother, Kwame, has disappeared, and Ebo knows it can only be to attempt the hazardous journey to Europe, and a better life-the same journey their sister set out on months ago.īut Ebo refuses to be left behind in Ghana.

A powerfully moving graphic novel by New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer and the team behind the Artemis Fowl graphic novels that explores the current plight of undocumented immigrants.Įbo is alone.

Illegal by eoin colfer and andrew donkin