Why War is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker and Stefano Vitale

Walker, Alice - author, & Vitale, Stefano - illustrator (2007). Why War is Never a Good Idea. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN: 978-0060753856.

Annotation

Powerful, evocative, hard hitting, gut wrenching poem about the devastating effects of war.

My thoughts

This is a pacifist’s poem in the extreme, and if it isn’t then as the pages turn the reader will think about pacifism. It doesn’t rationalize a war instead it turns war into this evil personified thing that destroys life and has wide consequences. “When it comes/ To nursing/ Mothers/ It is blind;/ Milk, especially/Human,/ It cannot/ See.” These words are tragic and very scary because it doesn’t show the supposed just-causes of war it shows the unintended consequences on the lives of innocents.

The illustrations start off bright and capture the various regions in descriptively vague ways. China, South America, Cambodia, a jungle, European architecture, Middle-east architecture, and Africa are depicted showing the global scale. The people from these places are shown going about their innocent daily duties and lives. “Through War has a mind of its own/ war never knows/ Who/ It is going/ To hit.” A church and homes are depicted with many people playing, talking, working, walking, riding, fishing, drinking, swimming, sitting, kissing, etc. A death cloud looms on the following page. The illustrations get darker until the last page. The final page is painted from the perspective of the bottom of a well looking up at the moon. Looking down into the well are silhouetted forms with lit eyes looking into the war-tainted water. These people are innocent various global representatives representing the wide spread effects.

Curricular connections

History

Literary devices

Use of Personification: “the power and wanton devastation of war” is represented in this poem. The illustrations show the consequences of war.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 5 and up. The book jacket says “all ages.” Some people feel that this book is “scary” and disturbing. It is just as war is. I think that children are exposed to so much directly and indirectly though life and through the media. The earlier children are introduced to truths (like war is devastatingly terrible) the better. Otherwise, there is the chance of raising a generation who is blind to the consequences or sees the wrong causes. This is just a personal opinion, however. There are other people who view this book and poem as political propaganda meant to indoctrinate children to be peaceful. In addition, this particular personified war is evil. It doesn’t show the version where people gain freedom and are liberated. Books like this are great for discussions. I would think it would be good for a middle school debate.

Unfortunately, perhaps books that have these ‘mature’ concepts should be suggested with discretion in a public library setting or for individuals (parents, teachers, etc.) interested in and inquiring about war in general.

Reviews and Awards

Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize and an American Book Award for her novel The Color Purple. School Library Journal included Why War is Never a Good Idea in its Best Books of 2007 list.

Author website: No known website.

Illustrator website: www.stefanovitale.com/

Media: Acrylic painting

Genre: Juvenile picture book, poetry

Why? by Nikolai Popov

Nikolai Popov- author(1996). Why? New York: North-South Books. ISBN: 1558585346.

Author website: No official web site found.

Media: pastel

Genre: juvenile fiction, war

Annotation

A story about a conflict between a frog and a mouse that starts out as a simple act of jealousy and quickly escalates into a full-blown war between mice and frogs.

My thoughts

This wordless tale, about a frog and mouse in a meadow, turns into a meaningful commentary on the futility and pointlessness of war. At first, this story was registered a giggle of understanding. This response quickly changed as the story and ploys accelerated.

The story begins with a frog sitting happily on a rock with a flower. Nearby, a straight-faced mouse also is sitting but with a yellow umbrella. The mouse looks over at the frog and decides that he wants that particular flower even though there are a dozen others of that same flower growing in that vicinity. The mouse casts his umbrella aside and bombards the frog with both fists scaring the frog and using the opportunity to snatch the flower for his own self. Two larger frogs defend the smaller and scare the mouse away. They dance and joyfully celebrate throwing dozens of flowers until the mouse returns with friends in a mouse boot tank arms with guns. The two parties each have loses and victories until the final catastrophe and they are left in a battle-scarred field. Everything is gone. There are no more flowers for anyone.

The seemingly simple and avoidable incident between the frog and mouse and shows how events can easily accelerate into a crisis’s then warped into a full-blown war. It demonstrates the importance of not only avoiding potential incidents that can accelerate but also the need for conflict resolution. This book would work well in a war related lesson plan to get children thinking about the effects of war. Being wordless, will allow students to interpret the story and draw their own conclusions. This should encourage students to become more comfortable with discussing this difficult theme.  

Curricular connections

History 4^th grade and up

Literary devices

Use of Metaphor: The battle between frog and mouse can represent war in general. 

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 4 and up.

Rose Blanche by Christophe Gallaz and Roberto Innocenti.

Gallaz, Christophe, and Roberto Innocenti. Rose Blanche. Mankato, Minn.: Creative Editions, 1985. Print. ISBN: 978-2921620802.

Author website: No website found.

Illustrator website: http://www.robertoinnocenti.com/

Media: oil paint

Genre: juvenile fiction, historical fiction

Annotation

Rose Blanche is fictional story about a German schoolgirl risking her life to secretly bring food to the imprisoned children in a nearby Nazi concentration camp.

Summary

Rose Blanche follows a group of Nazi soldiers after they arrest a fleeing boy and discovers a concentration camp. After seeing the imprisoned children, Rose tried to help by taking food to the camp daily until the town is liberated. Tragically, on the same day as the liberation, Rose travels to the concentration camp to bring food to the children and is deeply saddened to discover that the camp is gone. At this point, through the fog, “there was a shot.” Rose Blanche is killed by an allied bullet in the end.
 

My thoughts

Rose Blanche honestly depicts the atrocities of war. Because this is a story about World War II from the perspective of a young girl, the author does not provide historical details and doesn’t explain many things in the story. The effect of capturing the viewpoint of a young girl who does not completely understand the war is very effective. Most people usually do not understand what occurs during wars. Innocenti and Gallaz leave the reader intentionally unenlightened during many parts of the book to reinforce this feeling of limited knowledge.

Key concepts such as Nazi, Swasticka, Holocaust, Jewish, concentration camp, are also not mentioned but are descriptively shown in the illustrations. The tragedies of the Holocaust are expressed through imagery and limited language leaving the reader to follow visual cues and graphic allusions to the concluding events. This method of leaving symbols and events seen but wordless and unexplained is really a horrifying concept. These are unexplained tragedies, ruthless savagery, and horrifying monstrosities, but to Rose Blanche it is simple: she must help the children.

There is so much unspoken but implied in this book that will make it more appropriate for a mature audience. Then there is the disappearance of the children and Rose’s own death which was the result of a careless mistake. Even the final liberation is also not understood by the young child. Soldiers enter the town and are identified in the text as ‘speaking another language and wearing different uniforms.’ This book does an excellent job at bringing the experience alive but the reader should have a basic understanding of the war.

Innocenti’s powerful and very realistic paintings are amazing. These illustrations are what captured my attention when I was trying to decide on a book for this genre.

Banned Book

This is considered a controversial picture book. This is partially because of its graphic nature and mature content. This book truly captures the true horror of war and the feeling of being helpless. That is something that should not be banned. I do feel that teachers should teach the material to bring a complete understanding to young children to get the full picture. In addition, librarians should use discretion and should suggest this book for older readers already familiar with the Holocaust and World War II. But I don’t think that it should be censored or re-edited from the original text. Many things should be challenged, the Holocaust was a terrible event that many would like to forget. It is, however, important to keep younger generations educated and aware of these events and perspectives. Rose Blanche provides a springboard for discussion and allows children find a viewpoint that will in turn change their own. Hopefully, through witnessing Rose’s perspective young readers will become empowered. 

Literary devices

Use of symbolism: The main character is named after the "Rose Blanche" (or the French White Rose) was a group of young German protestors that were executed for their resistance to the war.

Curricular connections

Social Studies grade 4-8  (Holocaust, World War II, European front)

Humanities grade 4-8 (Discussion: historical fiction and narrative shifts)

Reading level/ Interest Age

There is controversy surrounding this book due to it graphic nature and deep topics. Because of this controversy and mature discussions (the Holocaust and Rose’s death), I would recommend this book for older students rather than elementary students.

Reviews and Awards

Roberto Innocenti received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration, 2008

Mildred L. Batchelder Award, 1986. This award is given to an American publisher for an outstanding children's book that was originally published in a foreign country in another language.

Golden Apple, Biennale of Illustrators, Bratislava, 1985

American Library Association Notable Book, 1986

Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Book citation, 1986