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A review by antlersantlers
A Bowl Full of Peace: A True Story by Caren Stelson
4.0
A picture book companion to one of my favorite children's non-fiction books, [b:Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story|29056319|Sachiko A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story|Caren Stelson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1477663854l/29056319._SX50_.jpg|43071748]. Stelson again tells Sachiko's story, this time assisted by Japanese illustrator Akira Kusaka, in a straightforward way that puts a human face to one of the greatest historical horrors: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I like that Stelson used the family's dining routine throughout the book, including the presence of grandmother's bowl, creating a rhythm in both the narrative of the book and in Sachiko's life.
This is definitely not an easy picture book, but it would absolutely be an appropriate lap read or a read-aloud for an elementary class. The back matter is also particularly nice, and it includes a photo of the real bowl. The illustrator's note is also excellent, and he touches on how his generation of Japanese people are so removed from the events of the second world war. The opportunity to talk to the people that lived the events is quickly disappearing as that generation dies. This is such a human story that can help children empathize with something so distant and historically removed.
This is definitely not an easy picture book, but it would absolutely be an appropriate lap read or a read-aloud for an elementary class. The back matter is also particularly nice, and it includes a photo of the real bowl. The illustrator's note is also excellent, and he touches on how his generation of Japanese people are so removed from the events of the second world war. The opportunity to talk to the people that lived the events is quickly disappearing as that generation dies. This is such a human story that can help children empathize with something so distant and historically removed.