"Lubna and Pebble" by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egneus (OUP / Oxford Children's Books)

"Lubna and Pebble" by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egneus tells the story of a little girl caught up in a crisis in her home country. 

Lubna retreats from the world by confiding in her best friend. Not a girl, nor a boy, but a pebble. 

Lubna discovered Pebble on a beach as she arrived in the dead of night along with her family and others fleeing a country destroyed by war. 

Lubna tells Pebble everything. 

About her home and her own country.  

About the terrible fighting and the war that came closer and closer to home until her family was left with no choice but to leave. 

Pebble always listens to her stories and smiles when she feels afraid. But one day, when a little boy arrives, alone in a world of tents, Lubna poignantly understands that he needs Pebble even more than she does. 

This really reminded us of "Wisp: A Story of Hope" but with more of a child's voice, and an emphasis on how children are sometimes forced to cope with the most horrific and extreme situations by retreating into their own fantasy worlds when ours can be so hideous. 

Tough, emotional, heartfelt storytelling. 

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly absorbing and emotional tale of a young refugee forced to cope with the atrocities of war in her own country, relying on a very special friendship to help ease the horror of her situation. 

"Lubna and Pebble" by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egneus is out now, published by OUP / Oxford Children's Books (kindly supplied for review).