A Bowl Full of Peace

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.

“"This nonfiction picture book about a Japanese family's resilience before and after the Nagasaki bombing maintains a sensitive touch without straying from its terrible truth. Sachiko's family has always shared meals served out of her grandmother's green bowl. As war disrupts their daily lives, they always take the time to sit at the table and say 'Itadakimasu' ('We humbly receive this food'). One day, while Sachiko is playing outside, a nuclear bomb drops on her city. Every year on the anniversary of the bombing, she fills the green bowl with ice, watching it melt to remember her family's experience, and decades later, she still shares her story with others, advocating for peace. Stelson's spare, lyrical text is heartrending. Kusaka's digital illustrations have a textured feel, using muted browns and greens for times of peace, and incorporating reds and oranges in times of war. As the family strives to rebuild, the palette lightens again. Soft lines lend a sense of reverence and remembrance, elevating the evocative narrative to even greater heights. Back matter includes author and illustrator notes, which further explain the background of WWII and the impact of the nuclear bomb--plus photographs of Sachiko and her family and further reading suggestions. A powerful entry point for discussing the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the importance of peace and disarmament. Stunning."--starred, Booklist”

"[A] symbol of survival. . . . Kusaka's illustrations effectively focus on Sachiko's family and the ways they used the bowl to create an orderly family life even in the midst of, and after, a devastating war."—starred, The Horn Book Magazine

Caren Stelson is an award-winning author of nonfiction books that focus on war and peace themes. She believes young readers want to know the truth about their world and how others find resilience and courage in difficult times. Her work includes Ezra Jack Keats Book Award winner A Bowl Full of Peace and Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor's Story, which 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. 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.

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