BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Grandmother has a special bowl, it has been passed down from mother to daughter and is part of the gratitude that begins each meal. In August of 1945, the family, who live in the city of Nagasaki experience the Atomic Bomb dropped by the Americans. One family member is killed instantly, while others soon die from sickness. The family leaves the city for a while, but when they return and begin to dig through the rubble that was their home, they find Grandmother's bowl - still intact, not even a crack or a chip. Over the years, the remaining family members use grandmother's bowl to remember.
Based on a story in Caren Stelson's non-fiction Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor's Story, grandmother's bowl becomes a symbol for peace and remembering. I love the way Caren Stelson tells such a heartbreaking story in a gentle way - appropriate for the young reader and a nice way to tell the story of the bombing of Japan to a young audience. Includes an extensive author's note and illustrator's notes - with the original Japanese notes, too - and a recommended reading list.
Lisa Librarian
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