Reinhard Kleist
An Olympic Dream

© Carlsen It's the real story of sprinter Samia Yusuf Omar, who represented her country Somalia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, when she returned home, Islamist extremists threatened her because women were banned from doing sports in Somalia. But she did not give up her dream of participating in the 2012 Olympics in London. So, she began the dangerous flight to Europe. Samia Yusuf Omar did not survive the inflatable boat crossing and drowned off the coast of Malta in 2012 at the age of 21.

Reinhard Kleist (* 1970) is one of the most productive illustrators and graphic novelists in Germany. With his touching narrative style and careful drawings, he has created an important work that is not only up-to-date, but is also of great value for young people's understanding of migration phenomena. The book emerged from his stay at the Goethe-Institut Palermo. For this book he was awarded several prizes for children's and young people's literature. The book was also translated into Arabic language.