A Bowl Full of Peace: A True Story

by Caren Stelson, Akira Kusaka (Illustrator)

Overview

A heartbreaking but essential perspective on war and survival.—starred, Kirkus Reviews



In this deeply moving nonfiction picture book, award-winning author Caren Stelson brings Sachiko Yasui's story of surviving the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and her message of peace to a young audience.



Sachiko's family home was about half a mile from where the atomic bomb fell on August 9, 1945. Her family experienced devastating loss. When they returned to the rubble where their home once stood, her father miraculously found their serving bowl fully intact. This delicate, green, leaf-shaped bowl—which once held their daily meals—now holds memories of the past and serves as a vessel of hope, peace, and new traditions for Sachiko and the surviving members of her family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541521483
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/04/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	290,828
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 10 Years

About the Author

When author Caren Stelson first heard Sachiko Yasui speak, she knew she needed to share her story with young people. She eventually made five trips to Japan to interview Sachiko in Nagasaki and conduct additional research. Caren's book for middle grade readers, Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor's Story, was longlisted for a National Book Award and received a Sibert Honor Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award. Caren and her husband Kim live in Minneapolis. They have two adult children and one grandson, Reid, who, like the readers of A Bowl Full of Peace, will be our next generation of peacemakers. www.carenstelson.com

Akira Kusaka is an illustrator and graphic designer who has created advertisements, book covers, children's books, and more. He has not experienced war, and illustrating Sachiko’s story for A Bowl Full of Peace prompted him to contemplate both war and peace. He hopes that this book will inspire the next generation of children to think deeply about peace as well. When Akira is not drawing, he plays trombone in a two-man band called Repair. He lives in Osaka, Japan. See more of his art at: akirakusaka.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/30/2020

Stelson (Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story) opens this picture book biography of a Japanese peace activist before the start of WWII. Kusaka, making his U.S. debut, shows Sachiko’s family of seven gathered around the table to eat from a bowl that belonged to her grandmother. “Itadakimasu,” they intone, expressing gratitude for their food. The war brings air raids, but the cataclysm that shakes Nagasaki in early August is different; the city and everything it holds is incinerated, and Sachiko’s little brother, Toshi, is immediately killed. Poisoned by radiation, Sachiko’s siblings and parents sicken and die one by one. Her grandmother’s bowl miraculously survives, recovered intact from the ruins of their house. Each year in August, Sachiko fills it with ice to remember her family’s thirst and suffering. At last, she resolves to tell their story: “The world must know that such a bomb can never be used again.” The soft edges of Kusaka’s digital artwork mimic pastel images and show the catastrophe and its aftermath directly. The story may well spur discussion about war, but it will require careful context-setting to answer questions about the effects of nuclear war and radiation. Ages 6–11. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (May)■

Publishers Weekly

"A picture-book adaptation of the Sibert Honor book Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor (2016). No one knows where Grandmother's bowl came from, but everyone knows that it is precious. Passed down from mother to daughter, Grandmother's bowl sits, full of food, in the middle of young Sachiko Yasui's family table. Before every meal, everyone bows their heads and whispers, 'itadakimasu,' or 'we humbly receive this food.' As soldiers and sounds of war move into Nagasaki, Japan, Grandmother's bowl holds less and less, but still, they express their gratitude. One day when Sachiko is playing outside, an enemy bomber approaches, and Nagasaki is destroyed. Forced to leave, Sachiko's family experiences loss and sickness over the next few years before they return to Nagasaki. Digging through the rubble, Father finds Grandmother's bowl without a chip or crack. Each year they fill Grandmother's bowl to remember those they've lost and to pray for peace. Stelson shares this true story with young readers through a thoughtful, moving text. Kusaka's illustrations are powerful and vivid, bringing readers into Sachiko's experiences and emotions. Their chalky, weathered texture helps to keep the terrifying two-spread sequence that depicts the bombing from completely overwhelming readers. Text and art work together to show the devastating, lasting consequences of war and to convey a message of hope and peace for the future. A heartbreaking but essential perspective on war and survival."—starred, Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

03/01/2020

Gr 2–5—Stelson's picture book describes a family who gathered for an evening meal and served their food in a special bowl inherited from their grandmother. No matter how much or how little food the bowl held, father, mother, sisters, and brothers all offered thanks. Living in Japan in the 1940s, six-year-old Sachiko Yasui became accustomed to wartime food shortages. When air-raid sirens announced the arrival of bombers, the family quickly sought shelter. On August 9, 1945, there was no warning, and the bomb that fell on Nagasaki had devastating consequences. Sachiko's youngest brother was killed instantly, and her other two brothers perished a short time later. Sachiko, her parents, and her sister became ill. They recovered and eventually returned to Nagasaki. As they started to rebuild their home, they were amazed to find Grandmother's unbroken bowl in the wreckage. When radiation slowly caused the deaths of Sachiko's family members, she realized she must use her voice to work for peace. The untarnished bowl is an effective symbol of hope. Digitally painted illustrations convey devastation and sorrow but are not graphic. VERDICT This book, written by the same author as the Sibert Honor–winning Sachiko, introduces the topic of nuclear war to a younger audience. A useful resource that could be tied to the International Day of Peace.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond

School Library Journal

★ 2020-02-09
A picture-book adaptation of the Sibert Honor book Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor (2016).

No one knows where Grandmother’s bowl came from, but everyone knows that it is precious. Passed down from mother to daughter, Grandmother’s bowl sits, full of food, in the middle of young Sachiko Yasui’s family table. Before every meal, everyone bows their heads and whispers, “itadakimasu,” or “we humbly receive this food.” As soldiers and sounds of war move into Nagasaki, Japan, Grandmother’s bowl holds less and less, but still, they express their gratitude. One day when Sachiko is playing outside, an enemy bomber approaches, and Nagasaki is destroyed. Forced to leave, Sachiko’s family experiences loss and sickness over the next few years before they return to Nagasaki. Digging through the rubble, Father finds Grandmother’s bowl without a chip or crack. Each year they fill Grandmother’s bowl to remember those they’ve lost and to pray for peace. Stelson shares this true story with young readers through a thoughtful, moving text. Kusaka’s illustrations are powerful and vivid, bringing readers into Sachiko’s experiences and emotions. Their chalky, weathered texture helps to keep the terrifying two-spread sequence that depicts the bombing from completely overwhelming readers. Text and art work together to show the devastating, lasting consequences of war and to convey a message of hope and peace for the future.

A heartbreaking but essential perspective on war and survival. (author’s note, photos, illustrator’s note, further reading) (Picture book/biography. 6-11)

Kirkus Reviews

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