Title: Voice from Afar: Poems of Peace
Author: Tony Johnston
Publisher: Holiday House
Year of publication: 2008
Photographer: Susan Guevara
Genre: History
Age Level: 9 and up
Theme: Peace, Sympathy, and Reconciliation
About the author: Tony Johnston was a fourth grade teacher before becoming a publisher. She is a renowned author of more than one hundred books for young readers. Among her award-winning books are The Iguana Brothers, illustrated by Mark Teague; the Sparky and Eddie books, illustrated by Susannah Ryan; The Quilt Story and The Badger and the Magic Fan, both illustrated by Tomie dePaola. She has won the Southern California Award for her book Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio. Tony is now a full-time writer living with her family in San Marino, California.
Synopsis: This book consists of a poetry collection concerning peace and war by a highly praised children's poet and author, Tony Johnston. The book is attractively illustrated by Susan Guevara. The poems in this collection present lasting images of war and peace. The poems also depict the effects of war on ordinary people as well as the hope and joy that mark each person's journey to survive. For instance, a brother told his sister to tell him a happy story and the sister made up a sweet story telling her brother about their house flying away from gunfire. Then, a lentil was paradoxically asked to fling itself into boiling water so that a desperate family could be fed; a stubborn rosebush blooms, because no matter what it must endure. There are twenty-six poems in the book, and the photographs in the book express personal feelings that send a peaceful message to children all over the world- from Belfast to Africa, Middle East, and so on.
About the photographer: Susan Guevara was trained at the San Francisco Art Academy and Belgium's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Her technical skills and creative interpretations have been highly praised by reviewers and readers alike. Her picture books have been awarded many accolades, including the 1996 and 2002 Pura Belpré Award, the 1996 Tomás Rivera Award, and the 2005 New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. Susan has illustrated nearly twenty books for children, from traditional fairy tales to stories set in the East Los Angeles barrio, all in distinctly different styles. Her painting is full of sweeping, vivid color and emotion, Susan Guevara's accompanying acrylic paintings astonish, move, and provide a fascinating interpretation of and tribute to Tony Johnston's call for peace. She lives in a large live/work space in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her cat, Bulldozer, and several rosebushes.
Pre-reading activities: The children will read the book and tell the stories in their own words sharing what they think about the poems or the readings.
Post-reading activities: In practical, students will be given a project of writing out the things that make for peace and how to reconcile with friends or others who hurt them. This is to help them to learn how to live harmoniously with people through forgiveness.
Reflection: This is an important book to read because it helps to know about what people go through in different parts of the world. It helps to appreciate and value a person fortune knowing that there are other people who are suffering as a result of war and poverty. The book also helps to learn to sympathize with people and to reach out to the underprivileged people as well as the victims of war.
Works cited: http://www.lindaglaserauthor.com/index.html
http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Afar-Poems-Tony-Johnston/dp/0823420124
http://authors.simonandschuster.com.au/Tony-Johnston/1779508/biography
http://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+Susan+Guevara&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=690&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4q60ToY3w4mwApW4ydMD&ved=0CCYQsAQ
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