Adnan: The Boy who Helped his Mummy Remember

Mark Arrigo, Steven Chatterton
Diala Brisly (Illustration)
Paperback, 40 pages
9780711267077

Adnan is the heartwarming story of a refugee boy’s attempts to heal his mother’s mental health issues with the power of his creativity as they rebuild their lives in their new home. Sometimes, when something sad happens, people can push it so far down because it hurts too much. That’s why Mummy doesn’t remember.

This touching and sensitively told children's book is a story about a boy and his mother, about trauma and recovery, and how to deal with the challenges of mental health. It tells the story of an imaginative ten-year-old Syrian refugee boy who flees his home country with his mother. Now settled in the UK, he must use all his creativity to break through his mother’s PTSD or risk losing her forever.

The book is based on a short film of the same name, which has collected multiple awards and made Official Selection at its first Oscar qualifying festival. Inspired by her own experiences as a refugee, Syrian artist Diala Brisly’s illustrations are powerful and evocative, highlighting the contrast between Adnan’s hope and the helplessness of the mother.