A Little Peace [Hardcover]

Barbara Kerley (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: K and up

The latest National Geographic Children's Books title by Barbara Kerley, A Little Peace, gives a richly evocative and thought-provoking view of the world our children will inherit. Wise words and moving images offer a unique and enriching experience for every young reader. According to author Barbara Kerley, "I believe that peace doesn't just rest in the hands of politicians and world leaders. We all have the power to make the world more peaceful."

The book juxtaposes photographs from around the world with a simple, reflective message about our responsibilities for finding and keeping peace on the planet. Like the highly acclaimed titles A Cool Drink of Water and You and Me Together, this beautiful children's picture book features superb National Geographic images accompanied by a brief, poetic text on a subject of global importance. All the photography is reproduced in miniature at the back of the book with geographic, historic, and cultural context and details explained. A world map leads readers to the location of each image. A Little Peace offers a vital lesson for children everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6–What does it take to spread a little peace? Richard Solomon, President of the U.S. Institute of Peace, states in an afterword that the responsibility ...does not rest with governments and organizations alone; it is also the work of individuals. This simple, beautiful photo-essay demonstrates this philosophy. The colorful pictures are supported by limited, yet powerful text, illustrating how each person can work to achieve peace. Children from around the globe highlight simple actions, such as lending a hand, sharing a smile, and making friends. A concluding spread identifies the city and country where each photo was taken, and a postscript on the organization is included. Sharing this book with youngsters should spark discussion.–Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Barbara Kerley's previous National Geographic books include A Cool Drink of Water and You and Me Together. Her book The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins was a 2002 Caldecott Honor book and her acclaimed Walt Whitman: Words for America won an American Library Association Sibert Honor Medal for informational books. She is a former Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, and she now lives in McKinleyville, CA.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (May 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426300867
• ISBN-13: 978-1426300868
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 0.4 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Photography

More About the Author

I had two favorite pastimes as a kid.

One was playing dress-ups with my friends. We were fancy ladies with oh-so-complicated lives or pioneer women crossing the prairie. Once I was even a snake wriggling out of a snake-charmer's basket. As a teen I became very involved with theater, both on and off the stage. (For all intents and purposes, it was still playing dress-ups, only now with makeup, lights, and a stage.)

My other pastime was reading stacks and stacks of books--and sometimes, reading the same book over and over.

The dress-ups, the theater, the stacks of books, and, I now see, my work as a writer, have all been fueled by my life-long fascination with people and the story of their lives.

Come visit my website to see the stories I tell. www.barbarakerley.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little peace through out the world - Great for World Peace Day 9/21, May 22, 2009

By 

KSL "emma-and-me" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little Peace (Hardcover)

This book would be a great book to use on World Peace Day September 21. To make the most of this book for your class or child would be for you to read it first and write down what country the photo is from and what is going on in the photo. The photos are terrific, but with National Geographic the photos have to be awesome!

The last 2 pages are a note on and about Peace. There are famous quote like " Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding" Albert Einstein and also a famous Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu - " If there is to be peace in the world. There must be peace among the nations. If there is to be peace among nations, there must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be peace between neighbor. If there is to be peace between neighbors there must be peace at home. If there is peace at home, there must be peace in the heart. And finally Treaties are negotiated by governments. Peace is made by people!

The photos in this book include: Gzipur Bangladesh, Katmandu, Nepal, Near Kitale Kenya,Bali Indonesia, London England, Chichicastenango Guatemalla, Padova Italy, Outside Shendi Sudan, Base-Terre Guadeloupe, Srinagar Sashmir India, Trashi Yangtse Bhutan, Fengdu China, Bagdad Iraq, Salvador Brazil, Kabul Afghanistan, Leh Ladkh India, Tokyo Japan, Mekong Delta Vietnam, Al Kut Iraq, Edinburgh Scotland, Mazar-E Sharif, Afghanistan and in the United States of America Albuquerque New Mexico, Dover Ohio, New Orleans Louisianna and Brooklyn New York. There is also a flat map of the world to show where the photos are from.

If you are looking for a book for younger children about peace I sugguest Can You Say Peace - Karen Katz or Somewhere Today - A book of Peace by Shelley Moore Thomas.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Message, January 18, 2008

By 

mama goose (Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little Peace (Hardcover)

Just a great book with a great message and very touching pictures. Also explains where all the pictures were taken with a world map.A Little Peace

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Photos of Hope!, July 18, 2010

By 

Sally "Sally" (New York State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little Peace (Hardcover)

After finding this book at the library, I'm definitely buying a copy for my almost one-year old kids. We've been reading it for a month, and my kids love it as much as me. It's compiled of beautiful photographs of people from around the world engaged in everyday activities from playing to praying. Some examples include Buddhist monks in Bhutan, a very crowded bus in Sudan, people celebrating in Brazil and children playing in New York. I got chills the first time I read it. Simple text accompanies each page perfect for young children. I love how each photo is explained in more detail at the end of the book. I will be reading this book to my kids for many years and using it to talk about other countries and eventually world conflicts. As a mom of two middle-class white kids, I'm striving to expose them to the diversity of the world, and this book is perfect. I'm so tired of the "cookbook" diversity books that show drawings of kids of different races all laughing together. Blah. I like the realness and simplicity of this book. I plan on checking out all of Barbara Kerley's books.