The Island
by Armin Greder
Illustrated by Armin Greder
A man is washed up on an island. When the inhabitants find him, they are deeply suspicious and hostile, because he isn't like them. Only the fisherman shows any compassion, saying they must help as the man has nothing. The islanders allow him to shelter in a goat pen but do not provide anything else, and refuse to employ him. The fisherman is the lone voice of compassion, and eventually the people turn on him as well as the stranger. He is cast back in the sea and the fisherman's boat is burned; a wall is built around the island, so that no one else can land there.
This acclaimed picture book has a powerful message for our times. The stranger is demonised and feared because "he wasn't like them". There are many places around the world where refugees are regarded with hostility and put into camps and detention centres, as well as examples throughout history of man's inhumanity to man, where the stranger is not welcome and forcibly removed.
The illustrations are in shades of grey, with the islanders' powerful figures contrasting strongly with the stranger's naked vulnerability. The dark, brooding seascapes further emphasise the dangers and uncertainty. The book provides many points for discussion with older children.