Coming to England

Written by Floella Benjamin
Illustrated by Diane Ewen

Suitable for: 0-5 years, 5-7 years (Key stage 1)

Sponsored by: The Mackintosh Foundation

Available braille grades: Grade 1, Grade 2

A story about the triumph of hope, love, and determination. Coming to England is the inspiring true story of Baroness Floella Benjamin: from Trinidad, to London as part of the Windrush generation, to the House of Lords.

Follow ten-year-old Floella as she and her family set sail from the Caribbean to a new life in London. Alone on a huge ship for two weeks, then tumbled into a cold and unfriendly London, coming to England wasn’t at all what Floella had expected . . . What will her new school be like? Will she meet the Queen?

Filled with optimism and joy, yet deeply personal and relevant, young children will follow Floella’s experiences of moving home and making friends. Alongside vibrant illustrations by Diane Ewen, this powerful story shows little people how courage and determination can always overcome adversity.

Read by Lenora Crichlow

Listen to an audio clip

The cover of this book shows a little girl leaning over the rail of a ship, which is sailing towards a port in England.
The ship has sailed all the way from Trinidad, a Carribean island on the other side of the Atlantic ocean. The little girl is looking excited to be coming to land at last. She’s wearing two bright orange ribbons in her hair.
On the page on the right there’s a small picture of a bird called a Toucan. This bird is black, yellow and green and has a really long curved beak and lives in hot countries like Trinidad!
The page on the left shows Floella and her family on an escalator going down into the London Underground. Floella has just gotten off at the bottom and is looking at it curiously – It’s very strange travelling on a moving staircase for the first time.

What's inside

A picture book with braille pages and raised tactile images.
Audio descriptions with music and sound effects in your chosen format of either CD or USB.
An ‘Articles for the Blind’ returns label for the free and convenient return of the box.

Touch to see image list

Floella at Market in Trinidad

Floella on board the Ship

Floella meets HRH the Queen

Subjects

What our members say

Really enjoyed the book! My daughter really enjoyed the book, she says that she found it interesting to learn about Floella’s life. She particularly enjoyed learning about the market in Trinidad, the fruit that she bought and her journey by ship Parent