by Charlotte Graver

Discussing topics such as war, conflict and societal upheaval with children can be difficult, with many opting to tell their children as little as possible to preserve their innocence and others choosing to ignore the topic all together. Whilst each approach should be respected, the problem with allowing this topic to become a taboo is that it does not reflect contemporary society wherein the effects of war are ever present.

It is therefore a good idea to gently introduce the topic to children from a young age, and literature can be the perfect vehicle to help achieve this. From autobiographically reflecting upon the events of war to hypothetically outlining its causes, books can help guide us in raising such a complex topic and in this post, I am going to explore three picture books that do just that.  

I Saw a Beautiful Woodpecker

Based on an authentic school notebook kept by Skibiński in the Summer of 1939, I saw a beautiful woodpecker tells the story of the outbreak of the Second World War from the perspective of an eight-year-old boy.

Tasked with writing a sentence a day to practice his writing, Skibiński takes the child reader from carefree days at the creek to fearful nights watching bombs fall. Restricting the narrative to single sentences, the story remains observational, allowing the child reader to encounter the events of war in a simplistic, matter-of-fact manner in which discussions are engendered and personal reflections encouraged.

The illustrations further such observational character as no people are depicted and focus remains upon the singular words, ‘Shrapnel passed over our house’, ‘We can hear gun shots’. However, despite such minimal language and illustrations, the story abounds in heart. Transitioning from bright tones to dark pages, the emotions supposedly experienced by the author can be felt through the colours deployed. For example, the vibrant greens adorning the double page spread documenting Skibiński’s walk with his Grandma on the 21^st July, 1939 clearly evoke the joy and love experienced on this day, emotions that contrast the near complete darkness and fear shrouding the page documenting the gunfire heard on the 11^th September, 1939.

Offering photocopied extracts of Skibiński’s original notebook at the end of the story, the text wonderfully gives children access to historical documents, allowing them to step into history and learn of war from a historical perspective. It has also been translated into French by Lydia Waleryszak but I hope one day more translations arise.

Any Old Mountain (Original Title: Una montaña cualquiera)

Rather than centre upon a specific war or a specific individual’s experience with war, Pintadera’s story chooses to reflect on the possible causes of war and the way in which innocent misunderstandings can escalate unexpectedly.

Set in an anonymous country, in an anonymous time, Una montaña cualquiera tells the story of two villages, one of which inhabits the top of a mountain and the other of which inhabits the bottom. Both have things they like and dislike about their homes and both think their villages are the best. However, one day, upon celebrating the love for their respective communities, conflict arises and fighting ensues, ultimately causing destruction.

The simplicity of the story engenders a powerful reflection upon the futility of conflict and encourages discussions with children on the importance of communication and peace. Furthermore, devoid of geographical, contextual and lexically nuanced markers, the story offers a universal appeal, allowing any child anywhere the opportunity to engage and identify with the story, a universality apparent through its one translation already available in German.

Albeit a potentially dark subject matter, the playful, quirky and vibrant nature of Darné’s illustrations serve to counterbalance the sombre subject and engage the child reader with the story. What is more, although clearly referencing the destruction caused by war, the story does so gently, thus allowing the child reader to understand the consequences of conflict, yet not dwell upon it in a traumatic manner. Perfectly walking the line between an educational narrative and an entertaining story, Pintadera’s text offers the perfect first book to introduce young readers to the topic of war. Let’s hope it will be translated into English soon (rights information here).

War

Written by one of Portugal’s greatest writers, A Guerra teaches where war comes from, how it creeps up on us and how it devastates us. With sparse prose and striking illustrations, José Jorge Letria provides the child reader with a haunting exposition on the futility of war. From personifying its ‘silence’ to critiquing its production of ‘shadowy, iron children’, A War reveals the many sides of war, ultimately presenting it as an ominous villain that destroys everything it touches.

Such an ominous, unsettling, atmosphere is central to the text and one that gives rise to the older target audience for the story. Whereas Pintadera’s story fictitiously explores the causes of war with vibrant illustrations and a light-hearted tone, ultimately providing the perfect entry for young readers to learn about conflict, Jorge Letria opts for a more sombre and poetic approach, offering older children an insight into the emotive damage of war: ‘War knows where it is feared’; ‘War feeds on hate ambition and spite’.

The text has been incredibly successful and been awarded the Nami Concours Prize for the quality of its art and power of its message, a deserving prize given the beauty of André Letria’s artwork. Limiting his illustrations to dark greys and browns, we are able to interpret the tone of the text from simply glancing at the pages. What is more, by suffusing the story with spiders, crows and shadows, we are able to immediately see how war infects society and embodies our fears.

With frank and harrowing wording, A Guerra is a bold piece of work that is superbly translated into English by Elisa Amado. Although it offers the most sombre reflection on war out of the three stories discussed today, it nonetheless remains a brilliant vehicle to begin a discussion with older children on the causes and consequences of war.

Meet Charlotte Graver