Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
The theme for 2017 is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.”
Title: Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class
Author: Eileen Spinelli
Illustrator: Anne Kennedy
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company, 2009
Ages: 4-7
Themes: schools, animals, conflict resolution, peace week
Opening:
Bunny wanted to poke fun at Polecat’s green sweater.
She wanted to say, “Here comes Pickle-Puss.”
But this was peace Week.
Synopsis:
Miss Fox is tired of hearing her young students quarrel. So she announces Peace Week—no more squabbling for one whole week! The children chime in with their own rules: no fighting, don’t say mean things, and help others. Throughout the week each of the little animals gets a chance to practice this new behavior. When Polecat teases Bunny for wearing a bright yellow sweater, instead of poking fun back at Polecat, Bunny admires his sweater. Soon, to their surprise, the animals are finding that it’s easy to help others, take turns, and say nice things, even when someone is grumpy to them. Wouldn’t it be nice, Squirrel says, if every week could be Peace Week?
Why I like this book:
The story doesn’t pretend that the reflex to argue, the instinct to strike back verbally when you feel someone has been unfair or unkind to you goes away. The story allows Miss Fox’s students to acknowledge those feelings and impulses before they make a decision to do or say something more constructive, and learn to make a habit of kindness.
It’s a great conflict resolution story for young kids, helping young readers seek out means to convert you-hurt-me-so-I’m-going-to-hurt-you-back responses into something gentler in the moment.
Anne Kennedy’s illustrations are sweet and gentle without being cloying. As such they are the perfect partner for Eileen Spinelli’s text, which shares the sweet but not saccharine innocence of childhood, and the basic value of kindness in the context of a clear and engaging storyline. The illustrations remind me a lot of Mercer Mayer.
Activities/resources:
A great resource for Peace Day/Week, or to read when the kids are having a particularly retaliatory day!
http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/
This book is also useful for learning days of the week for younger students.
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Wow, I love your post on International Peace Day and the wonderful and practical book that can be used by teachers to help celebrate Peace. Funny, we’ve mirrored each other before because of similar interests. I kept thinking of the song “Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me…”
Yes, we are often in sync! Ha, I remember that song!
I love the theme and the oh-so-realistic message that peace must be taught to young children explicitly. Our job as adults, to model and teach. This looks like a wonderful and timely resource!
Cathy, I loved the realism and how the author didn’t sugar coat real feelings.
This is another book that would be great for our school library. And it’s not just kids who need to learn how to de-fuse mean or thoughtless comments from others. Thanks for highlighting this one, Joanna.
Your choice is so timely – and cute!
I love this book and I can’t wait to see the illustrations. On my library list. Thanks.