Starred reviews celebrate ‘Rose by the Sea,’ a picture book of survival and hope

2026-03-06 - 02:14

Based on the true story of the author’s great-grandmother, this “affectingly gentle” picture book about surviving the Armenian Genocide sparkles with hope and heart even amid unspeakable tragedy. Illustrated by Myo Yim, the book is perfect for readers of The Proudest Blue and Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers. Rose is what my parents call me: Dzovinar, their rose by the sea. Dzovinar (“zill-ven-ar”) lives with her family in Armenia, where the hillside is dotted with sheep and the apricot trees bloom every spring. She loves her home — but one day, soldiers storm her village, and she returns to an empty house. Their parents gone, Dzovinar and her sister are forced to flee. Afraid and alone, they journey across the desert, then over the ocean: first to France and then to America, where they hope a new future will bloom. Changed but not lost, Dzovinar takes root in a new land...forever a rose by the sea. Praise for the book “A beautifully illustrated and emotionally rich picture book about the impact of the Armenian Genocide that introduces this difficult chapter of history through the eyes of a child, Dzovinar. Mooradian and Yim have created a powerful book to share with care. It opens space for conversations about resilience, identity and remembrance, and it shows how storytelling helps us honor the past while finding beauty in survival.” — School Library Journal (Starred Review) “The lyrical prose and stunning illustrations evoke displacement, fear and uncertainty while also channeling courage and hope. The detailed artwork deepens the emotional resonance of the text with a powerful use of color and artfully integrated motifs and remembrances that echo from scene to scene, creating a powerful story that gently invites conversation and reflection.” — Booklist (Starred Review) “Based, per an author’s note, on the childhood events of Mooradian’s great-grandmother, this first-person story connects arrayed hues to a youth’s flight during the Armenian genocide. Establishing a new residence, the sisters paint the walls in colorful hues that remind them of loved ones and home, contributing to a vibrant, layered collage of the duo’s experiences.” — Publishers Weekly Rebecca Rose Mooradian lives in a woodland garden in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. Her works have appeared in New Millennium Writings, Sing Out! online and Hamilton Stone Review, among others. When she’s not inn-keeping, chasing her kiddos or gardening, she’s writing words and music about how much she loves the world. She is represented by Courtney Donovan at Writers House. Learn more by visiting: rebeccarosemooradian.com Save the date: April 11, 2026, for IALA’s Literary Lights 2026 event featuring the author — announcement to follow! Support their work by purchasing the book at their Bookshop.org storefront.