One Plus One Plus One Plus One...Equals Everyone

Nearly four years ago Liberty Mutual, an insurance company, began airing a commercial based upon one person helping another.  What made this commercial unique was someone else witnessed this act of kindness.  When they in turn offered assistance to another this, too, was observed.  A single act had created a chain reaction of goodwill.

For many years I have admired and collected the work of author/illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin. When I first read her new title, Peace (Atheneum Books For Young Readers), I was captivated by the beauty in the simplicity of her narrative and captured with the intricacy of her illustrations.  Much like the chain reaction of goodwill, she explores where peace begins.


For there to be peace in the world...
...there must be peace in nations.


From the world to nations to cities to neighborhoods to schools to homes and finally to our hearts, we follow this concept to the single act; a point of origin.  When readers hit this center, changes occur as we textually zoom back to the place of beginning.

For each sentence, displayed within a two-page spread, we read a series of quotes relative to peace; how we treat one another, good actions, anger, speaking up for truth, empathy, or forgiveness.  Quotes have been selected from such notable names as Confucius, Albert Einstein, William Faulkner, Leo F. Buscaglia, Desmond Tutu and Mark Twain.  This brief but profound storyline is placed, as are all the quotes, on the only strips of white space in this title's illustrations, woven into the design of each.

Wendy Anderson Halperin begins her story with a starry expanse of sky, a sliver of moon overlooking the earth.  From there until the final pages we see a series of small panels pieced together to make a breathtaking whole on each of the two-page visuals.  Each panel is a story in and of itself.

When she illustrates peace in the nations both times, she purposely includes nature too; various biomes on land, sea and air, above and below ground.  This reinforces the belief peace for humans is not to be obtained in isolation; inclusion of the world in which we live is necessary. Different perspectives of the planet, positioning of the continents, are shown within a circle with people from all walks of life, hands clasped, on the perimeter.  These same geographical locales are shown in the succeeding illustration with babies from around the world shown in a row over a line of worlds, rotated.

As readers are turning pages getting closer to the center; ...there must be peace in our hearts, by paying close attention to each panel it will soon be obvious what each represents.  Halperin is visualizing opportunities, scenarios needing change.  The group of worlds in the beginning and end are placed individually, one at a time, in a central location of each illustration to remind readers of the global goal, the dream.

The center two pages are a series of twenty pictures hand drawn by students depicting the meaning of peace for each of them.  Working from the center to the book's conclusion, the meaningful actions are happening, some more quickly than others which heightens anticipation and interest.  At times people are journeying from one aspect (over a series of pages) to another to complete their peaceful project.

Using watercolor and pencil Halperin forms these miniature worlds within a greater landscape employing meticulous detail; animated expressions and emotions, architectural design, and plant and animal life.  Although in full color, there is a softness, a warmth, to her signature pictures.    You can't help but feel a sense of peace as you careful look over each individual depiction.  Endpapers in two shades of green feature flowers and leaves; opening and closing this title with the same calm.


In Peace by Wendy Anderson Halperin readers can clearly follow the path to the hope her words introduce but in which her illustrations bring understanding and the means to accomplish this, one person at a time.  It should be noted the dedication is to your senses; to seeing, to touching, to smelling, to tasting and to hearing.  Here she offers initially the means to be more aware of how we use each of our senses toward peace.

To Tasting
May you make choices in what you eat to promote peace.  May your thoughts and efforts help feed the hungry.  May you help keep our waters, lakes, rivers and oceans clean for the thirsty.

In addition to the link to her main website embedded in her name, readers may want to visit her website, Drawing Children Into Peace.  She has another outstanding site titled Drawing Children Into Reading.  Both are full of ideas, examples and videos on extending the meaning, the message, of her book outside its pages, leading to discussion and activities.

Here is one of many videos.

 This past Saturday I had the good fortune at the Michigan Reading Association conference in Grand Rapids to meet Wendy Anderson Halperin.  She is as lovely as the books she writes and illustrates; a living example of having found peace in her heart.  Here are a few pictures.

Here is the full length Liberty Mutual commercial.

Just for you--fellow colleagues

Shelving books and year end inventory do have their benefits beyond the obvious.  Without fail each time I look through the books on the shelves in either the elementary or middle school library media centers I find those special volumes about which I have forgotten.  Today I became reaquainted with four very special books by gifted authors and illustrators.

The secret remedy book: a story of comfort and love by Karin Cates and illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin is heart-warming in every way.  Lolly's wish of visiting her Auntie Zep without her family finally comes true; she is so excited!  But after they leave much to her surprise she misses them and starts to cry.  Auntie Zep has the perfect solution--
The Secret Remedy Book.  After locating a special key, a trunk in the attic and the book itself, together they complete each remedy.  But in order for the remedies to work all must be completed before the first hoot of an owl.  Each remedy is delighfully pictured by our own Michigan Halperin in her signature style.  Her illustrations invite closer examination as the reader views stories within the story.  At her web site Halperin offers extensions for teachers not only for this book but for some of her others. 

Patrick McDonnell creator of the award-winning comic strip Mutts has also found his nitch as an author of children's books illustrating them with his Mooch and Earl characters.  The Gift of Nothing and South are on our shelves.  With simple expressive drawings and spare text he manages to convey messages of friendship, compassion and love.  Don't miss his web site about Mutts.  It is loaded with potential classroom applications especially having students create their own comics. (Hmmm...working on remembering that web site about comic creation for students...now where is it? Stay tuned.)

Author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds of The Dot and Ish fame (wonderful books about self esteem and art) penned So few of me in 2006.  Needless to say the message is timeless and for all ages.  No matter what we do or how hard we work wouldn't it be easier if we could clone ourselves?  The words have hardly left Leo's mouth when another Leo shows up to assist him in his never-ending supply of things to do.  Before the tale ends there are ten of Leo!  Peter Reynolds will have you smiling as he presents Leo with the perfect answer which each of us should practice each and every day.  [Please note:  when I went to Reynolds' web site it seems that he has another book which we should have, The North Star.]