On the Wings of Peace

In prose, poetry, and art, sixty popular children's writers and illustrators explore the meaning of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and advocate peace in the world, between everyday people as well as between nations. Read more Continue reading Read less FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dedicated to the memory of those who perished when atomic bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki half a century ago, this poignant, hardhitting book collects the work of more than 60 noted writers and artists who, mostly through depictions of war, underscore the world's acute need for peace. A number of the entries tie into the devastating bombings of 1945, including Greg Mitchell's crisp if rather dry account of the origins of the Pacific war and nuclear physicist Michio Kaku's searing projection of what would happen if a hydrogen bomb were dropped on the Empire State Building. Other memorable selections include Joseph Bruchac's "Rabbit Foot," involving five warring Native American nations, and Katherine Paterson's "The Grandmother with Her Own Bomb," a true story about a bomb that falls through the roof of a Russian woman's house. Unfortunately, the biased note accompanying "Come Back, Palestine, Come Back" ("Due to wars in 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982, Jews took territories from Arabs and created large refugee populations") undermines the pacifist cause. Jerry Pinkney, Wendell Minor, Peter Catalanotto and Keiko Narahashi are among the distinguished artists included here. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. FROM SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Grade 4 Up?A memorable collection of art and writings dedicated to the people who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The book is diverse in every sense, representing varied literary and pictorial forms from a distinguished global assemblage of 60 authors and illustrators. Katherine Paterson tells of a Russian woman who failed for 43 years to convince the authorities that she had an unexploded bomb under her bed. Walter Dean Myers's poem, "To a Child of War," addresses contemporary urban America. Historian Greg Mitchell gives background on World War II in the Pacific. Nuclear physicist Michio Kaku writes that Einstein's "...famous equation, E=mc2, explains not only the nuclear furnace that lights up the stars; it also may someday be etched on the tombstone of the human race." In Japanese American Ken Mochizuki's story, he dreads school every December 7th and tells of meeting his uncle, a scarred victim of Hiroshima. There is an agenda here?peace and nuclear nonproliferation?but it manages to be edifying without being preachy. Not every piece is of equal distinction; lamentably, the cover art looks inappropriately young for the intended audience. Nonetheless, this is an important and powerful book, filled with stunning and varied artistic visions and provocative voices.?Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. FROM BOOKLIST
Gr. 6^-12. Don't let the picture-book format fool you. On the Wings of Peace is a hard-hitting, thoughtful book about war--all wars--and its effect on the human spirit, especially our children's. Sixty authors and illustrators have donated their work to create this book, the proceeds of which will go to benefit three international peace organizations. This beautiful, yet sobering book, focusing heavily on World War II but featuring selections concerned with more contemporary wars as well, has been crafted by the well-known and the less famous, people of all colors and nationalities. Poetry, letters, short stories, and essays, interspersed with haunting artwork, combine to form one clear and poignant message: war is hell. Frances Bradburn Read more Continue reading Read less