From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6–Hoping to make a difference and help to bring calm in a troubled world, Gilley wrote to the United Nations to discuss an idea for a day when the entire globe would observe peace. In order to make it work, he decided a specific date was needed. As well as making it a day for global cease-fire and nonviolence, it would also be A day for everyone in our homes, schools and communities around the world to stop fighting. Aided by his family, colleagues, and friends, he wrote to presidents and prime ministers, Nobel Prize winners and religious leaders for help. While meeting with dignitaries around the world, as well as visiting countries where conflicts were going on, he decided to film the poverty, destruction, and suffering from wars. Seeing the reality that children had to live with reaffirmed his desire to make a difference. After struggling for over two years, his realization came true. The United Nations voted to name September 21 a day of cease-fire and nonviolence. He named it Peace One Day. All of the pain, disappointment, and excitement in his dream are well documented. The combination of text and illustrations demonstrates the message that everyone can make a difference. The clear, concise text appears with a collage of captioned photos and realistic drawings. Teachers and librarians can use the Web site provided for suggestions for individuals, families, and schools to celebrate Peace day.
–Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gr. 4-6. In this handsome picture book, a young British filmmaker tells how he persuaded world leaders to establish World Peace Day. Well, not really. Since 1981 the UN has celebrated the International Day of Peace on the third Tuesday in September. What Gilley did was to convince them to declare a fixed date, September 21. His personal account of filming the consequences of war in several countries, from Somalia to the Middle East, draws attention to the issue, as do his accounts of meeting with world leaders, such as the Dalai Lama and Kofi Annan. Most powerful are the double-page collage illustrations contributed by Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Karen Blessen, which blend some of Gilley's film images of kids caught up in war and portraits of world peace leaders with colored pencil drawings, posters, and even news headlines. The passionate prose and stirring images show and tell that each person can make a difference.
Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
