Amazing, heart-gripping short prayer with illustrations.

Khaled Hosseini’s Sea Prayer, is a short poem roughly around 48 pages, illustrating the global refugee crisis. This heart-wrenching poem is inspired by the story of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian refugee who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea trying to escape his war-torn country. Although the poem is brief, Hosseini’s writing techniques and Dan Wiliams’s meaningful illustrations impact the readers. This tear-jerking and sorrowful poem takes the form of a letter. Hosseini depicts a father cradling his sleeping son as they wait for their boat to arrive. The father speaks to his son, recalling his grandfather’s house, the crowded city of Homs, and the days before they had to flee their country. It provides an alternative perspective on the refugee crisis; the poem is told through the eyes of a grieving father, who prays his son lives a happy healthy life. I really enjoyed reading this eye-opening book. Definitely, a must-read! - 4.5/5 stars, SAPL Read It & Review Contributor

This gifted Author, feeling compelled to write after the viral photograph of the dead migrant toddler on the beach surfaced this past year, weaves a heart-rending tale, giving the child both a voice, and a story that one will not soon forget. I echo the sentiments of my previous DBRL reviewer. You will cry. If you care enough to this topic to read this book, it WILL move you. The watercolors and ink used in the thoughtful renderings, harken me to greeting cards, long ago sent by my grandmother. I am grateful for the co-worker who recommended this book to me. #ThankYouRose

Short, yet powerful. Humbly reminded of the reality for many refugees. Dan Williams also did an amazing job in his illustrations.

Lovely illustrations combined with heartbreaking clarity tell such an important story with so few words. I would highly recommend pairing this with Exit West for a book group study.

Heartbreaking. This can be read in as little as five minutes, but it will haunt your conscience for years to come. Parents often contemplate what they would do for their children, their family, but here a father is troubled by what he has promised. A hopeful promise that he is powerless to keep, but puts his trust in a higher power.

This beautiful book will make you weep, words and images both. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Loving. Tragic. Hopeful. Profound. Should be required reading.

“Released amid the onslaught of heart-wrenching news about emigration, Sea Prayer may be the Sophie’s Choice for our century.” From https://www.heifer.org/join-the-conversation/blog/2018/November/sea-prayer-review.html.

Simple and moving. As a poem with illustrations it is quite different from the other works by Hosseini (3 novels).

I've found it very touching and want to read it with my kids. About two years ago, we decided to go beyond our usual destinations and to show more of their father's country to our kids. So we travelled to Gaziantep, a Turkish city located 40 miles from the border with Syria. There we saw numerous refugees. Because we watch the news and because their Swiss school had welcomed a couple of refugees, they knew a little bit of what's going on. Nevertheless, being there made it more concrete (they both felt very emotional). I believe that Sea Prayer can achieve something similar. Young and less young readers will connect with Marwan and his father.

Now Hosseini should write a parallel story/poem about the wall being built between the US and Mexico...

touching poem with evocative illustrations
for older children and adults alike