Youths4Peace Literature

Lobel, Anita:  Potatoes, Potatoes.  Greenwillow, 2004.  ISBN:  0060518170.

There was once an old woman who had a potato farm and two hardworking, loving sons. But one day one son ran away to the army of the east; the other son joined the army of the west. Caldecott Honor artist Anita Lobel tells a powerful story of two brothers who become enemies at war, and their wise mother whose cleverness turns fighting into peace.

MacDonald, Margaret Read.  Earth Care:  World Folktales To Talk About.  Linnet Books, 1999.  ISBN:  0208024166.

Forty-one tales, fables, poems, stories, and numerous proverbs from over thirty countries or ethnic groups for folks to talk about.  Grouped by concept, these tales touch upon both human and ecological themes: caring for the land; caring for other creatures; how all things are linked; how human greed leads to disaster; how no thing is without value; how pollution returns to the polluter; how one person can make a difference; how to husband the future by heeding the experience of the past; and how to unite our voices on the Earth's behalf.  By the author of Peace Tales.

MacDonald, Margaret Read.  Peace Tales:  World Folktales To Talk About.  August House, 2005.  ISBN: 0208023283.

This book is a truly multicultural collection of proverbs and stories which explore the devastation and perils of war and the possibilities and promise of peace. The stories are many-layered and appropriate for a wide range of ages. Included are stories about a king who spills honey, and then says it is not his problem until it causes a war; some sandpipers and whales who get into a foolish fight that almost destroys their homes; a man who thinks that a gun makes him strong; and some monkeys who follow their leader into water that's too deep.

Radunsky, Vladimir.  Manneken Pis: A Simple Story Of A Boy Who Peed On A War. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002.  ISBN:  0689831935.

Radunsky relates the Belgian legend of a boy, separated from his parents during a war, who desperately needs to…well, pee.  And so he does--right onto the battle.  When those fighting see the child, all the bangs and booms turn to laughter, and war gives way to peace.  Inspired by the bronze statue of Manneken Pis in Brussels, Radunsky presents an entertaining antiwar picture book.   Ages 3-7.

Schlitz, Laura Amy.  Illustrated by Max Grafe. The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm.. Candlewick Press, 2007.  ISBN:  0763627300.

"Man, or bear. When a person gives up hope, is he still human?" Such is the story of one soldier who has lost everything to war: his childhood home, his family and friends, his youth, and his innocence. Enter that sly opportunist, the devil, who wraps the soldier in the formidable armor of a dead bear's skin, fills its pockets with gold, and makes a dangerous and horrible wager. The Bearskinner is an eerie and haunting tale about the subtle but persistent struggle between the two sides of our selves, and the heroic strength it takes to claim a victory.        Gr. 3 & up.

Vega, Elizabeth Haze.  Illustrated by Ashley Smith.  The Laughing River: a folktale for peace.  Rayve Productions, Inc., 1995.  ISBN:  1877810355.

Lyrical folktale concerning two African tribes in conflict, who are brought together by a melodious, laughing river.  Incorporates accurate musical notes, which create a song by story's end into the illustrations and text.

Folktale

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