Peace and Me

Amnesty International endorses this book because it shows how standing up for other people makes the world a better, more peaceful place

My Thoughts:

October 2nd is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and it seems apt to feature this book today – ‘Peace and Me’.  The book was published on the 21st of September which is celebrated as International Day of Peace, and I am featuring it here on my blog on the International Day of Non-Violence. Gandhi believed that ‘Peace is its own reward’.  The book explores this wonderful truth in the many facets of peace by featuring twelve Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in its pages.

“Peace begins with a smile.” – Mother Teresa

What does peace mean to you?

‘Peace and Me’ provides a look into all that peace can be. It is not just the absence of war or strife; peace is – ensuring no one stays hungry, peace is forgiveness, for protecting the world around us, and so much more.  Glorious two-page spreads feature each and every Nobel Peace Prize winner with stunning illustrations that are frame-worthy and bite-sized biographies just perfect for the intended audience. And I think this book totally works for older kids and adults too. I did not know about at least half the Laureates featured here and learned quite a bit through this book. (more on the audience and the Laureates next)

The Audience

While, as mentioned in the book info section, this book’s intended audience is 7-11 years old, I need to say I loved the book. I often find myself in the children’s sections of bookstores and libraries (who am I kidding? I am there most of the times!) and think to myself that these books should also be in the regular sections for older people….This book is one among them as well.

The Nobel Peace Prize Laureates

The book includes men and women from around the world and includes familiar names like Malala Yousef and Nelson Mandela, as well as many not-so-familiar (unknown to me before this) names like Jane Addams and Shirin Ebadi. I learned of these heroes who overcome challenges selflessly to help others around them find their way home(Fridtjof Nansen) or protect the environment(Wangari Mathai) against all odds. And today, we are still challenged to find homes for millions of refugees, food for so many who sleep hungry each day, safe drinking water, and for a greener, cleaner, more peaceful earth. Today, we need more such heroes and this book is so timely to provide all of us with much needed hope and inspiration.

The Illustrations

Each two page spread includes collage style illustrations that are vibrant, visually wowing with details and colors that speak to the reader with a life of their own through the pages. Mickaël’s careful choice of color and design makes each two-page spread unique, and together they are perfect.  Yet another proof that unity in diversity works, and works so well. 🙂

The Words

The biographies for each person are both brief and brilliant, and one catchphrase helps highlight what they did to contribute to peace. The amount of information is something Goldilocks would consider perfect – not too much and not too little.  I liked that the book also included facts like Mother Teresa’s simple white saree with three blue stripes – somehow that made it more human!

The Inspiration

The book lends itself to anyone wanting to learn more about these wonderful people and also inspires the reader to do more, because what so many of these prize winners did is something each of us can do ourselves. We just need  determination and courage. It encourages each of us to ponder on peace a bit and provides a wonderful platform for classroom or group discussions on peace, as well as inspiration for further reading, writing and illustrating activities. It shows kids that there are so many different ways we can help make the world a better place, and that each of us can do it. When you see a wrong, right it, or at least make an effort to right it, because every little step counts.

The Little Bit More

A timeline at the beginning and a world map at the end provide a quick glance into the Laureates. The book also includes a brief introduction to Alfred Nobel and why he founded the Nobel Prize.

Explore What Peace Means to You in ‘Peace and Me’ – an anthology of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in this visually stunning, textually brilliant and concise book #ladyinreadwrites  – Click to Tweet

In Summary

This book is a visual masterpiece and a powerhouse of peace! This is truly a wonderful addition to school and classroom libraries and to bookshelves at home as well. A totally keepable, giftable book in my opinion…

Free Activity Planner:

You can view/download a planner for activities around this book  here. Note that these activities are just suggestions from me as I read the book, and explored and discovered peace related activities.

Enjoy the wonderful book trailer created by Mickaël courtesy Lantana Publishing

Thank you to Lerner Publishing for sending me a review copy. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any other way by the publishers or others for this review.

Buy it from Lerner Publishing (not an affiliate:))

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Writing this post as a series for the Ultimate Blog Challenge and Write 31 Days.  31 Days, 31 Books! This is Day Two.

Day 0 Day 1