On the Wings of Peace: Writers and Illustrators Speak Out for Peace, in Memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki [Hardcover]

Sheila Hamanaka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 1995

To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, fifty-eight writers and illustrators have donated prose, poetry, and artwork that deal with the proposition of peace - from the day-to-day issues of personal and community violence to international conflict. Some of the contributors are Leo and Diane Dillon, Walter Dean Myers, Kioko Mori, Katherine Paterson, Jerry Pinkney, Milton Meltzer, Paul Morin, and Wendell Minor. Children of today face the greatest challenge humanity has ever known: creating a world in which every man, woman, and child has the opportunity to live in peace. Throughout history, war has been the method of choice to resolve arguments over borders, injustices, ideologies, religions, and numerous other passionately held beliefs. The heroes of history have been the brave men and women who have risked their lives to fight their countries' battles. Events of the twentieth century have brought changes that now make going to war, for any reason, obsolete. The heroes of the twenty-first century will be men and women who find alternatives to war. These people are children today.

Editorial Reviews

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; First Edition edition (September 9, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395726190
• ISBN-13: 978-0395726198
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,553,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Teaching and Learning about Peace and WWII, May 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: On the Wings of Peace: Writers and Illustrators Speak Out for Peace, in Memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Hardcover)

Writers and illustrators speak out for peace in this colorful, inspiring book. The introduction is a comprehensive and succinct account of WWII that can be easily understood by children.