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Don’t Look Back
By Becca Perl
Fiction. The Book Guild
(October 2024)

Review by Luke Graham

What would you risk for the chance of a better life? That’s a question posed by Christchurch-based writer and illustrator Becca Perl in her new children’s book ‘Don’t Look Back’.

The book is based on the real-life story of her family’s escape from Communist Czechoslovakia in 1949. In the tale, a grandfather is asked to tell a once-upon-a-time story to his grandchildren, and he tells them about a little boy who one day left home with his parents, walked for miles through a dense, dark forest, and had to cross a dangerous river to get to safety, before revealing to the grandchildren that the story is about himself.

Perl deliberately leaves the time and place of the book vague, not only so the story is simpler and more accessible for children, but because it’s a story of the desperation felt by millions of refugees around the world. Because of this, Perl is donating 50p to The Refugee Council for every copy of the book sold.

‘Don’t Look Back’ is wonderfully illustrated, with endearing character designs and moody landscapes and backgrounds. I enjoyed reading the story to my own children, and how it prompted questions about why a family might feel forced to leave their home; the book will be a useful tool to help introduce and explain a complex topic to younger readers. Perl also includes a few pages of more detailed history at the back of the book for those who wish to know more.

This book would make a lovely Christmas present, especially for children with an interest in history.