The Peace Bell

"The Peace Bell" is narrated by a Japanese grandmother, relating the story of how a temple bell that was beloved by everyone in her small Japanese village was donated to the war effort during WW II, missed for many years and presumed lost forever, until it resurfaced almost miraculously years later. The story was engaging and I loved that it was inspired by true events. Even my 4.5-year-old preschooler kept still whilst I read the story. The illustrations by Hideko Takahashi are gorgeous, especially in depicting the daily rituals in a Japanese village and also of the festivals. The depictions of the colorful kimonos worn by the women in the village are vibrant and festive. The greater message inherent in this story is of the irony that a bell donated to the war effort to make weapons should survive the war and be returned years later and commemorated as a "peace bell". A powerful message that serves to educate both young and older readers alike. Highly recommended!

Yuko's grandmother tells her a story of when she was a little girl. She tells Yuko that when she was a little girl there was a beautful bell in her town in Japan at the temple. One day war breaks out and things start to change everywhere. The bell is gone, it has been donated to the war effort. It will be melted down and used in making guns and shells. Later after the war is over the bell is found and is returned to Japan where it still hangs today as a symbol of peace!

Told through the reflections of a Japanese grandmother, this sweet and spunky historical fiction tells the tale of an ancient brass temple bell. The grandmother recalls when she heard the bell in her childhood:"I loved the deep KA-DOON of an ancient temple bell. Its song was as gentle as cherry blossoms, as deep as the Bon Odori drum, and as round and full as the moon." She tells of the special New Year's Eve ringing of the bell - 108 times, "each toll chasing away one of the one hundred and eight worries of the world." Sometime during her pre-teen years, the bell is donated to the shipyards for melting down and making war materials, and the traditional ringing ceases. Years after World War II ends, the bell is discovered in Minnesota, where American sailors had taken it during the war. As a goodwill gesture, the city returns the bell and enshrines it. At the end of the story, the grandmother walks her granddaughter Yuko and her American friend Katie-chan (who happens to live in that Minnesota town where it was discovered) to the shrine of the bell where the two friends joyously ring it. The colorful acrylic illustrations are authentic and detailed, but simple enough to engage early readers, who might easily relate to the characters. Based on a true story of one of the thousands of Japanese temple bells that were lost during the war, this c.1686 bell was found in Duluth, MN (where the author also resides) and returned to the city of Ohara in 1954 and dubbed the "American-Japanese Friendship Peace Bell." The cities have forged a sister-city relationship, and, in 1991 Ohara (now called Isumi City) presented Duluth with a matching Peace Bell. This book could accompany classroom studies on Japan, peace, war, or music traditions. Many schools also have "peace pole" dedications and this book would be a wonderful read-aloud introduction to that activity