Run Away Like a Gingerbread Man — Shahnaz Qayumi

Run Away Like A Gingerbread Man tells the story of five-year-old Rustam, who lives with his mother in war-torn Afghanistan. When conditions at home become dangerous, they are forced to flee, and Rustam's mother comforts him with her version of the Gingerbread Man fable. The rich fantasy helps Rustam cope with the challenges of their escape. In our multicultural society, it is extremely common for children to have left their original homes, friends, their toys and possessions behind to begin another life somewhere strange and new. Unfortunately, it is often the case that these children were forced to leave their homelands out of necessity, out of fear for their own safety and that of their families. The author was inspired to write this story after escaping from Afghanistan with her then six-year-old son.