When Stars Are Scattered

Victoria Jamieson · Omar Mohamed

Apr 2020 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, Faysal Ahmed, Barkhad Abdi, Robin Miles, Ifrah Mansour, Bahni Turpin, Hakeemshady Mohamed, Sadeeq Ali, Dominic Hoffman, Christine Avila, JD Jackson, and Various

About this audiobook

An Odyssey Honor audiobook and National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel—adapted for audio—is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel—now adapted for audio—about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story. This audiobook is performed by a full cast and includes music and special effects.


Cast of Narrators:
Faysal Ahmed as Omar
Barkhad Abdi as Jeri
Robin Miles as Fatuma
Ifrah Mansour as Nimo and Munira
Bahni Turpin as Maryam and Ladan
Hakeemshady Mohamed as Tall Salan
Sadeeq Ali as Tall Ali
Dominic Hoffman as Michael
 
Christine Avila as Susana Martinez
JD Jackson as Hassan and Jeri’s Dad
Filsan Said as Nimo’s Mom, Sadiya, and Little Nimo
Dion Graham as David
Samba Schutte as Abdikarim and The Man who Finds Hassan
Hana Robleh as Mama
Abdi Iftin as Abdikarim’s Dad and Salat
Susan Duerden as The Reporter
and Steve West as The Cameraman
with Omar Mohamed reading his Author's Note
and Victoria Jamieson reading her Author's Note

About the author

Victoria Jamieson is the co-creator of the National Book Award finalist When Stars Are Scattered and the creator of the graphic novels All's Faire in Middle School and Newbery Honor winner Roller Girl. She received her BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a children's book designer before becoming a freelance illustrator. She has also worked as a portrait artist aboard a cruise ship, and has lived in Australia, Italy, and Canada. Now she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son.

Omar Mohamed is co-creator of the National Book Award finalist When Stars Are Scattered, based on his childhood growing up in the Dadaab refugee camp, after his father was killed and he was separated from his mother in Somalia. He devoted everything to taking care of his younger brother, Hassan, and to pursuing his education. He now lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife and five children, and is the founder of Refugee Strong, a non-profit organization that empowers students living in refugee camps.

Iman Geddy, the colorist for this book, is an Atlanta-based designer and illustrator who is passionate about using the graphic arts for social good. Inspired by the geometric harmony of Islamic architecture as well as the colorful equatorial landscapes of eastern Africa, she creates striking art that highlights the beauty of the world around us.