A BOWL FULL OF PEACE

A picture-book adaptation of the Sibert Honor book Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor (2016).

No one knows where Grandmother’s bowl came from, but everyone knows that it is precious. Passed down from mother to daughter, Grandmother’s bowl sits, full of food, in the middle of young Sachiko Yasui’s family table. Before every meal, everyone bows their heads and whispers, “itadakimasu,” or “we humbly receive this food.” As soldiers and sounds of war move into Nagasaki, Japan, Grandmother’s bowl holds less and less, but still, they express their gratitude. One day when Sachiko is playing outside, an enemy bomber approaches, and Nagasaki is destroyed. Forced to leave, Sachiko’s family experiences loss and sickness over the next few years before they return to Nagasaki. Digging through the rubble, Father finds Grandmother’s bowl without a chip or crack. Each year they fill Grandmother’s bowl to remember those they’ve lost and to pray for peace. Stelson shares this true story with young readers through a thoughtful, moving text. Kusaka’s illustrations are powerful and vivid, bringing readers into Sachiko’s experiences and emotions. Their chalky, weathered texture helps to keep the terrifying two-spread sequence that depicts the bombing from completely overwhelming readers. Text and art work together to show the devastating, lasting consequences of war and to convey a message of hope and peace for the future.

A heartbreaking but essential perspective on war and survival.