A Bowl Full of Peace
A True Story
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.
| Format | Your Price | Add |
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978-1-5415-2148-3
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$14.24 | |
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978-1-5415-9069-4
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$23.99 | |
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978-1-7284-6470-1
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$34.99 | |
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978-1-7284-6469-5
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$6.99 |
| Interest Level | Grade 1 - Grade 5 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 4 |
| Genre | Picture Books, Social Studies |
| Category | 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diverse Books: Social Justice, Diversity, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning |
| Copyright | 2020 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Imprint | Carolrhoda Books ® |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 40 |
| Publication Date | 2020-08-04 |
| Text Type | Narrative Nonfiction |
|---|---|
| BISACS | JNF025130, JNF053030, JNF019000 |
| Dewey | 940.54/252244092 [B] |
| Graphics | Full-color illustrations |
| Dimensions | 9.25 x 11 |
| Lexile | 650 |
| Guided Reading Level | S |
| ATOS Reading Level | 3.6 |
| Accelerated Reader® Points | 0.5 |
| Features | Author/Illustrator biography, Author/Illustrator note, Awards, Bibliography/further reading, Original artwork, Reviewed, and Starred Reviews |
Author: Caren Stelson
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. www.carenstelson.com
Illustrator: Akira Kusaka
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.
What Makes a Picture Book Bio Stand Out?
by Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books I love picture book biographies, both because of the fascinating range of people featured and because of the wide range of approaches authors use in writing them. Would I have known about Isatou Ceesay’s efforts… View →
Awards
- Charlie May Simon Award Nominee
- Arkansas Diamond Primary Award Nominee
- Prairie Bloom Award Nominee
- Martin Luther King "Living the Dream" Book Award finalist
- Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
- Lectio Book Award Master List
- Minnesota Book Award Finalist
- Ezra Jack Keats Book Award Nominee
- Kirkus Best Children's Books
- Freeman Book Award Honorable Mention
- Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
Reviews
The Horn Book Magazine
“[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
Publishers Weekly
" . . . The soft edges of Kusaka’s digital artwork mimic pastel images and show the catastrophe and its aftermath directly."—Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
“A heartbreaking but essential perspective on war and survival.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews
Booklist
“A powerful entry point for discussing the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the importance of peace and disarmament. Stunning.”—starred, Booklist
School Library Journal
“A useful resource that could be tied to the International Day of Peace.”—School Library Journal