The Island is an astonishing and powerful picture book about refugees, xenophobia, multiculturalism, social politics and human rights. It tackles big themes in subtle ways with a fable-like text and stunning artwork that will provoke discussion for upper primary and secondary school levels about issues that remain so much a part of our national discourse.
In the morning the people of the island found a man sitting on the shore, where fate and the ocean currents had set him and his frail raft in the night. When he saw them coming towards him, he rose to his feet.
He was not like them.
This internationally acclaimed, award-winning picture book is astonishing, powerful and continues to be searingly relevant.
'Starkly illustrated ... brilliant and haunting...' - Julia Eccleshare, The Guardian
This is a bleak, dark, sad book and a useful prompt for discussion. Books for Keeps
Author
About Armin Greder
Picture book illustrator Armin Greder was born in Switzerland and migrated to Brisbane, Australia in 1971. Armin has worked as a graphic designer and currently lectures tertiary art students, illustrating picture books in between teaching and other interests. As a child Armin spent a lot of time drawing in the back of his exercise books when he should have been paying attention in class. In books such as The Great Bear and An Ordinary Day his art reflects his European background. Charcoal often features in his work.
