Refuge: 10th Anniversary Edition

By Author / Illustrator

Anne Booth, Sam Usher

Genre

Representation & Inclusion

Age range(s)

Publisher

Nosy Crow

ISBN

9781805136552

Format

Hardback

Published

09-10-2025

Synopsis

A timely and timeless retelling of the Christmas story, inspired by refugee children everywhere.

In this powerful and evocative story, Jesus, Mary and Joseph flee Herod before finding sanctuary in Egypt. Uniquely, it is told in the voice of the donkey who carries them all to safety. Heartfelt in its message about the struggle of refugees and the kindness of strangers, this book is as relevant today as when it was first published ten years ago.

"A book to share with a lump in your throat and an ache in your heart." - Chris Riddell, Former Children's Laureate.

Nosy Crow is partnering with War Child UK to raise vital funds and awareness for their work to support children affected by conflict through the release of the 10th anniversary edition of Refuge. £1 from every War Child copy sold is being donated to support their lifechanging work around the world.

War Child UK is a registered charity in England and Wales. Registered charity number: 1071659.

Download Extract

Reviews

Michelle

Through the eyes, ears and voice of the donkey, Refuge offers a unique and powerful retelling of the well-known Christmas story. Beautifully written, it captures the challenges and sacrifices which Mary and Joseph faced on their journey to Bethlehem and beyond.

Sam Usher's illustrations beautifully capture moments of both joy and fearfulness, through the clever use of colour and shadows to portray feelings and mood. I particularly loved the use of warm and vibrant colours towards the end of the story, where Mary and Joseph find safety and refuge among others in Egypt. This is in clever contrast to the beginning of the story where Sam Usher uses dark shadows and empty streets to portray the fear and loneliness often felt by those seeking refuge.

Refuge is a fantastic resource to support in teaching the importance of Christmas time for Christians with my Year 1 class. It allows an opportunity for the children to see the Christmas story from a different point of view and to appreciate the sacrifices which Mary and Joseph made to keep baby Jesus safe. I think the children will enjoy using this narrative as a base of role-play and reenactment. It also highlights the importance of showing kindness and empathy; important Christian values.

I loved Anne Booth's carefully crafted sentences structures, which reflect the mood and feeling at different points of the journey. For example, her use of short phrases to mark the significance of events and things to come - making it perfect for a drama activity.

£1 from the sale of each book is donated to charity to support refugees, which gives us even more reason to purchase a copy!

Picture book / Reviewed by Michelle Bailey, teacher