Uprooted by war: The child refugee crisis in the wordless book "La Valigia" by Angelo Ruta

Abstract

Humanity is currently facing the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Children find themselves both directly and indirectly affected by this crisis. They are faced with making sense of complex issues and their diverse repercussions. For example, the distinct difference between a refugee whose life is at risk and a migrant seeking to improve their economic situation by moving to another rich country with prospects, is of particular importance for the objective study of the reasons and dimensions of the refugee crisis. In this context, this article explores the wordless book “La Valigia” by Angelo Ruta, where the construction of the meaning is dependent entirely on carefully sequenced images. The book depicts how a child of the war zone remembers and dreams while facing the chaos of having been chased by bombs and guns. This is the story of a sweet dream; dream that, despite the chaotic environment of reality, was kept alive inside a large suitcase. In this ‘silent’ book, which was a finalist of the Gianni De Conno Award (Silent Book Contest 2018), the vacuum created by the lack of words strengthens the meaning and allows it to exist in another form. At the same time, this style of book is changing the ways we understand and approach literature.