the absurdity of war laid bare in a pro-peace story for nations and families

the absurdity of war laid bare in a pro-peace story for nations and families

A brilliant tale of a duck who calls a halt to war, and the warriors who are led to peace. It's great for entrenching a desire for peace and for overcoming fear of unknown.
ages 2 to 12 years / emotional resilience

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extremities require courage and resilience

extremities require courage and resilience

ages 4 years to grownup
Set in Mozambique, this beautifully told and illustrated story is inspiring and full of wonder in itself, but becomes even more so when the true story is told alongside it. It shows the courage and strength of a young mother in crazy circumstances.

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overcoming embarrassment and failure through courage and embracing your own talents

overcoming embarrassment and failure through courage and embracing your own talents

Funny, inspiring story of Caramba, a cat who can't fly in a world where all cats can fly. There's heartache along the way but with the support of a good friend Caramba finds just the right niche - there's a place for everyone after all.
ages 0 to 8 years

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a tender and gentle look at grief and recovering joyfully

a tender and gentle look at grief and recovering joyfully

ages 2 to 12 years
Books that offer positive mechanisms for coping with grief that aren’t overly sad or far too heavy thematically for young children are thin on the ground, but this is one. And it's a rare child whose life remains untouched by grief, traumatic or simple. 

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sobering and ponderous and breathtaking

sobering and ponderous and breathtaking

ages 8 years and up
This is a truly remarkable book – the sort that makes you gasp and know that it needs to be in your house, on your table and hopefully in the hearts of your family. It’s a refugee story and perhaps a Christmas fable - there’s a mother and a baby, a father and a donkey. 
 

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about exemplary women and men

about exemplary women and men

ages 4 to 12 years
I confess that I'm not a big fan of the whole hero culture that we seem to have going. Too often the ‘heroes’ aren’t heroic and are anything but role model material. But Peaceful Heroes is a collection of super-short biographies of people who have impacted the world positively and peacefully. 
 

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a harrowing, important, triumphant and inspiring story

a harrowing, important, triumphant and inspiring story

One of the great things about picture books is their ability to help us feel the history as well as know the history, but they can do it in a way that leaves us with a sense of beauty and hope. Half Spoon of Rice does this brilliantly.
ages 10 years and up

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