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The Silence Seeker
When a new family moves in next door, Joe's mom explains that they are asylum seekers. But Joe hears that they are silence seekers, especially when Mom adds that they need peace and quiet. When he sees a young boy from the family sitting on the steps, Joe decides to help him find a nice quiet place, but unfortunately the city is very noisy!
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 8, 2019
Joe's intrigued when a new family move into the adjacent block. When mum explains that the boy and his family are asylum seekers, Joe mishears and thinks he is a 'silence seeker'. Although older than him, Joe seeks friendship with this quiet boy and even though language proves a barrier, the offer of food and persistence means that the boy follows Joe around the city whilst he searches for silent places. However, just as Joe begins to form a bond, the boy, inexplicably, leaves.
Morley's dedication to his wife, Heloise, who helped him 'hear the silence' and comments from pupils in the classes he taught ( in Singapore, Poland, Borneo, Islington and China) gave him the inspiration to highlight the problem of those who seek refuge from a country at war. So although Joe may have misheard, does he implicitly understand that the boy and his family are seeking to block out the noise of war and seek peace and quiet from the chaos of their lives?
I enjoyed Pearce's images. An illustrator from North Wales, he bases the story in a British cityscape and promotes a refreshing change in having the immigrant as white and the citizen as black. Furthermore, his cartoon-styled images shows us the darker shades of others who are silenced in our country with young people and homeless portrayed as separate or hidden.
I liked the fact that Morley does not assume to know how the visitor feels or what they think and instead writes this from the perspective of a native.
Morley's dedication to his wife, Heloise, who helped him 'hear the silence' and comments from pupils in the classes he taught ( in Singapore, Poland, Borneo, Islington and China) gave him the inspiration to highlight the problem of those who seek refuge from a country at war. So although Joe may have misheard, does he implicitly understand that the boy and his family are seeking to block out the noise of war and seek peace and quiet from the chaos of their lives?
I enjoyed Pearce's images. An illustrator from North Wales, he bases the story in a British cityscape and promotes a refreshing change in having the immigrant as white and the citizen as black. Furthermore, his cartoon-styled images shows us the darker shades of others who are silenced in our country with young people and homeless portrayed as separate or hidden.
I liked the fact that Morley does not assume to know how the visitor feels or what they think and instead writes this from the perspective of a native.
October 21, 2020
Joe is a young boy, next door a family of asylum seekers move in one day. Joe’s mum tells him they are asylum seekers and he mishears, thinking she said silence seekers. Joe takes the boy (who is older that him, appearing to be a teenager) around to show him all the quiet places. There is a clear language barrier between the boys but kindness and generosity overcomes this. A nice story of friendship regardless of the barriers. The story does seem to end quiet suddenly with Joe only seeing the boy one day, although this may be a realistic representation of asylum seekers moving around without much notice, it didn’t allow for the characters or plot to develop much. A good book to explore with lower KS2 children to encourage inclusivity and promote diversity and friendships which may not be obvious at first.
February 19, 2022
This would be a wonderful way to introduce the idea of asylum seekers to children (10+) and to explore the idea that a picture book works when the reader and author collaborate to make meaning as much of the 'story' is left unsaid here. The graphic illustration style will appeal to older children and there is lots of scope for discussion about the types of people the children encounter on their walk around the city. The descriptive language is rich and interesting, perfect for exploring with pupils in a 4th- 6th class setting.
July 14, 2018
I'm not sure what to think about this picture book.
First of all, it's beautiful. I wasn't familiar with Carl Pearce's illustrations before I picked up a copy of The Silence Seeker, but I really love the combination of cartoon/simplicity that he draws. It reminds me a lot of the cartoons I used to watch in the early 90s.
The story is really touching, but with a bit of an abrupt ending. I love that Joe has the kindness to take his neighbour out for a walk through town to find some silence. From the illustrations you can really see that it was eye-opening for him.
It's a great book in order to start a conversation about asylum seekers, but it doesn't really explain who they are and what happened to the boy after.
First of all, it's beautiful. I wasn't familiar with Carl Pearce's illustrations before I picked up a copy of The Silence Seeker, but I really love the combination of cartoon/simplicity that he draws. It reminds me a lot of the cartoons I used to watch in the early 90s.
The story is really touching, but with a bit of an abrupt ending. I love that Joe has the kindness to take his neighbour out for a walk through town to find some silence. From the illustrations you can really see that it was eye-opening for him.
It's a great book in order to start a conversation about asylum seekers, but it doesn't really explain who they are and what happened to the boy after.
September 28, 2020
Incredible illustrations - you can feel the noise of the city bouncing off the page.
And a simple gentle story.
Picture book that could be used with a wide range of age groups to generate discussions.
And a simple gentle story.
Picture book that could be used with a wide range of age groups to generate discussions.
November 23, 2021
I liked this book. This book is about a boy that befriends a 'silence seeker'.
I like that the book doesn't feel the need to tell us how the "silence seeker" feels and leaves this up to reader interpretation.
A good book to explore across primary school.
I like that the book doesn't feel the need to tell us how the "silence seeker" feels and leaves this up to reader interpretation.
A good book to explore across primary school.
June 14, 2023
En klar favoritt. Hadde jeg jobbet med engelsk på lavt mellomtrinn skulle jeg brukt den rått. Denne er verdt ett innblikk for alle aldere. Gøy med misforståtte ord, gjentagelse språklig gjør at den flyter vakkert gjennom hele historien. Rørende!
September 12, 2018
A book that nicely captures the world through the eyes of a child. A nice way to open a discussion into asylums seekers etc.
September 12, 2019
This is a nice book for children to both think about where they go to have some downtime as well as introduce the idea of asylum seekers and build conversations with them around that.
February 8, 2020
Good book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2022
Little kid welcomes big kid (asylum seeker) to the neighborhood, sharing his food and overcoming the language barrier to show him quiet places.
October 7, 2024
This story is beautifully illustrated, with warm and crisp visuals that are visually pleasing, reminiscent of 90s cartoon series. The warm color scheme enhances the atmosphere, and the illustrations depict a diverse range of people and cultures, reflecting the inclusivity that the story promotes.
The narrative follows Joe, a young boy whose new neighbors are asylum seekers who have moved into the house next door. Joe's mother explains that the family likely escaped from war and now need peace and quiet. Joe, intrigued by the idea of a "silence seeker," decides to help the new boy, who seems to be searching for silence.
Joe notices the boy sitting on the doorstep every morning, listening quietly. Believing he can help the boy find the quiet he's seeking, Joe makes two jam sandwiches and approaches him. Though the boy doesn't respond or speak, he eventually follows Joe as they explore various quiet places in the city. They visit a laundry room, a canal, a sump, and even under a flyover, but each location is disturbed by different noises and activities—biggies playing music, gangs laughing, down-and-outs mumbling, and mischief-makers shouting.
As the day grows late, they head back home. Joe gives the boy a sandwich, which he accepts silently, and though the boy never speaks, he smiles and takes Joe's hand, showing his appreciation. Joe apologizes for not finding silence and promises to try again tomorrow. That night, Joe lays awake, listening to the noisy world around him.
The next morning, Joe discovers that the boy and his family have left in the middle of the night. Joe feels sad and wonders if it was too noisy for them. He wishes them well in finding the silence they were seeking. Before going inside, Joe closes his eyes and, just for a moment, experiences a brief moment of quiet in the city.
The story teaches a powerful lesson about inclusivity, particularly towards asylum seekers and refugees who come from diverse and often difficult experiences. It highlights the challenges they face, such as language barriers and the need for persistence, while also emphasizing the importance of empathy, understanding, and helping one another, regardless of our differences. Joe's efforts to help the boy find silence, despite their communication barriers, illustrate the value of taking on roles of support and kindness in our communities.
The narrative follows Joe, a young boy whose new neighbors are asylum seekers who have moved into the house next door. Joe's mother explains that the family likely escaped from war and now need peace and quiet. Joe, intrigued by the idea of a "silence seeker," decides to help the new boy, who seems to be searching for silence.
Joe notices the boy sitting on the doorstep every morning, listening quietly. Believing he can help the boy find the quiet he's seeking, Joe makes two jam sandwiches and approaches him. Though the boy doesn't respond or speak, he eventually follows Joe as they explore various quiet places in the city. They visit a laundry room, a canal, a sump, and even under a flyover, but each location is disturbed by different noises and activities—biggies playing music, gangs laughing, down-and-outs mumbling, and mischief-makers shouting.
As the day grows late, they head back home. Joe gives the boy a sandwich, which he accepts silently, and though the boy never speaks, he smiles and takes Joe's hand, showing his appreciation. Joe apologizes for not finding silence and promises to try again tomorrow. That night, Joe lays awake, listening to the noisy world around him.
The next morning, Joe discovers that the boy and his family have left in the middle of the night. Joe feels sad and wonders if it was too noisy for them. He wishes them well in finding the silence they were seeking. Before going inside, Joe closes his eyes and, just for a moment, experiences a brief moment of quiet in the city.
The story teaches a powerful lesson about inclusivity, particularly towards asylum seekers and refugees who come from diverse and often difficult experiences. It highlights the challenges they face, such as language barriers and the need for persistence, while also emphasizing the importance of empathy, understanding, and helping one another, regardless of our differences. Joe's efforts to help the boy find silence, despite their communication barriers, illustrate the value of taking on roles of support and kindness in our communities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2009
I'm not sure what shelf to put this on until I read it -- but it's the new book written by a teacher at Eton House International Pre-School. Comes highly recommended. His book launch is on Oct. 6th.
June 24, 2010
Fab illustrations and a touching story combine to make a picture book charmer.
February 10, 2014
Gorgeous, gorgeous picture book.
February 4, 2014
I liked this one a lot, but it was a little bit old for Joe.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews