PEACE ON EARTH

Prasadam-Halls extols the virtues of peace as Litchfield depicts a sailing jaunt threatened by discord.

Peace on Earth, the author explains, takes various forms, such as “a smile, a wave, a laugh, a kiss” (the accompanying illustration portrays two friends meeting in a pristine meadow) or a sparkling ocean (the pair join another friend on a sailing trip). But one friend’s suggestion to sail to a nearby cave unnerves the others, though it’s unclear why, especially as the cave offers shelter from a sudden rainstorm. Two of the youngsters exchange words that “hurt… / and sting. // And fires rage / and burn within.” These fires are frighteningly—and rather disproportionately—externalized as a volcano erupts and snakelike creatures surround the protagonists. Never fear: “Peace can change the angry word / to something known and something heard.” The author never explains how, unfortunately. Instead of discussing their emotions, the pair appear to reconcile instantly when the third friend brings a glowing orb retrieved earlier during a dive. “Peace will never look away— / it lights a candle, here to stay,” the text proclaims. But as current and historical conflicts demonstrate, true peace isn’t so easily achieved or effortlessly maintained—a complexity that the simplistic rhymes and idyllic, glimmering illustrations fail to address. Peace may live “in those who hope and love and DO,” but readers won’t find actionable peace-promoting ideas here—or even a clear understanding of the concept. Two of the friends are brown-skinned; the other is lighter-skinned.

Well meaning but misses the mark.