YOU, ME, WE

Peace takes center stage in this picture book co-authored by the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s friendship with Maria Montessori and his belief that “If we are to teach real peace in this world…we shall have to begin with children,” this work opens by asking, “Where do we find peace?” An unseen narrator tells readers that peace can be found in many different situations. “Peace is in the way we walk, / the way we sit, // the way we stand / the way we form a circle.” An accompanying image shows a diverse group of children in their classroom, some standing, others gathered on a rug. “Peace is in speaking up”—we see vignettes of a child asking for help with a zipper and of another child pointing out that their foot has been stepped on. Peace can be difficult to maintain—“There can be misunderstandings / angry words / hurt feelings.” But as a community, the authors urge, we can work together to cultivate peace. Soft, gentle artwork with a cotton-candy feeling infuses the narrative with warmth and depicts the students playing, meditating, and sharing. The text is simple and concise, though occasionally didactic. Nevertheless, it should be a good starting point to spark discussions about peace and community-building using cues from both words and images. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will encourage young readers to give peace a chance.