Spectacularly Beautiful: A Refugee’s Story

I see two stories in Spectacularly Beautiful.

One is told in the lines. A refugee little girl, Shahad, shares her experience in drawing with her classmates and teacher. The scars on her face and leg make her look different from the rest of her class. Even coming to school every day with perfectly combed and perfectly braided hair, Shahad wonders whether she looks beautiful. However, her teacher Ms. Truong does not wonder – she knows, for sure, that Shahad is beautiful. Every day when Shahad comes to Ms. Truong with the same question: “Do you think I’m beautiful?”, Ms. Truong responds with the warmest certainty, “I think you are spectacularly beautiful.”

The other story is untold, hidden between lines. It is the story of Shahad’s home country. The childish doodle presented in the illustration and the simple descriptions by Shahad make one wonder what this little girl has experienced before her appearance in this Canadian classroom: the pain behind the scars, the sadness of being forced to leave home, the anxiety of starting a new life in a strange country, the heaviness of carrying the past, and the uncertainty of how others see her.

I applaud the wonderful work the author, Lisa Lucas, did in her writing. Not one heavy line. Not one scary word. It is a story in any common classroom – teacher and students, drawing and sharing. It is also beyond a classroom setting. Lisa tells a silent story in the story and shows the reader the invisible scars behind the visible scars. The hidden story makes the reader pause and dwell. It makes the young child’s resilience and grit even more powerful. And again, the visible story – the one happening in the classroom – brings up hope and possibilities. Absolutely brilliant writing!

The illustrator Laurie Stein uses black and white photographs of real classrooms and schoolyards as backgrounds so that readers can better relate to the setting and the story. It is as if we are sitting beside Shahad, listening to her stories, looking at her bright face, and feeling connected with her. Stein's drawings laid overtop the photos are simple. However, the concrete colors and clean lines used on the characters make them stand out on the black-and-white backgrounds. The strong contrast of colors captures the readers’ eyes and invites them to focus on the characters.

Spectacularly Beautiful is a beautiful story told and presented in a spectacular way. It demonstrates the diversity in Canadian classrooms. It makes visible the complex stories and experiences students bring into the landscape of school. It also shows how much difference a kind, empathetic teacher can make. I believe this picture book can empower many refugee students to see their beauty and competency. It will help establish significant connections between refugee families, children, and educators.