The Blue Door

A child in Palestine pays special attention to a strange door in her living room. The door is blue, cracked and faded, and serves no purpose as it rests against a wall, leading nowhere. The child's grandfather, however, not only seems to protect the door, but also appears to have a special use for it. One night he shows her how the blue door can spring into the air, carrying both of them to the home village where he spent his youth, before his displacement to the refugee camp where they both live.

The Blue Door depicts life upended by occupation. Nimr's telling is both matter of fact and poetic, powerfully evoking a longing that feels too big to be contained by these pages. Raouf Karray's illustrations spangle the story with shining leaves, jaunty flowers, waves of blue sea water that look like the rings of a tree. His mosaic doorframes illuminate lush portals of memory—a shared history and hope for liberation that join one generation with the next. Both hero and heroine are, in Karray's hands, zany and particular, their gestures by turns tender, jolly, and contemplative. The Blue Door will enchant.