With poetry and pictures, Olmos empowers children to choose strength and resilience, to “learn from city trees.” She channels those trees “who fight back and break open the sidewalks … and grow despite everything. In Olmos’ safe new world, robbers would steal nightmares, while jokes would drive kidnappers far away. Olmos inspires alternatives: “I dreamt that wars are always fought with flowers … and that soldiers prefer shadowboxing to shooting at each other.” Whimsically wishful, yes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the world’s soldiers agreed. “I dreamt of pistols that shoot butterflies … and of drug lords who only sell soap bubbles.” For the past six years in her native Mexico, Olmos explains, “a vicious war against drugs has brought fear and insecurity into every child’s life.” But violence, alas, plagues our children all over the world … from bullying (the third leading cause of death among young people in the U.S.!) to growing gun violence ( Chicago just last week!) to war (how many hot spots can you count today?). Award-winning author and publisher Gabriela Olmos gathered “ome of Mexico’s best illustrators” who donated their art to create this stunning prayer for peace. Sometimes, it takes a village to create a book this magnificent.
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