Rating: WORTHY!
From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
I've become a big fan of Vanita Oeschlanger. She writes unusual and charming children's books, all of which seem to have some purpose other than simply being something pretty to look at and something to read to your kids. This story is slightly misnamed since it takes place immediately after a war, but it's based on a real person who went abroad and sent home illustrated letters for his kids, and that's used as a framework to write an assuring and realistic story for a modern kid whose mom has gone abroad to a war zone.
It's wonderfully written in clear and unequivocal language and it pulls no punches, and nicely illustrated by Wilfrid Bauknight. It speaks intelligently and warmly, and it offers as much reassurance as something as uncertain as this situation can give. Col. Wilfrid Bauknight went to the Philippines to rebuild bridges and so on after Japan had surrendered. He was gone for only six months, but naturally his wife and children missed him, so he wrote back to them often and created hilarious drawings to illustrate his journey and activities.
Depicted here as a grandfather talking to his grandson about war and family absences, we get the story of his own life away as he relates it to his grandson's fears and difficulties. I love the way the grandfather speaks of his grandson's generation as being tasked to find better ways to resolve difficulties than war. I share that sentiment, but let's get started now, let's not wait for the kids to grow up and get to it!
Apart from the great illustrations, one of the finest things about this book is that all net profits benefit the Fisher House foundation (the link is on my blog), which is dedicated to meeting the needs of the nation's service members, veterans and their families. I recommend this story.
