This is a non-fiction picture book about Sachiko Yasui, during the bombing in Nagasaki, Japan.

This tale is so beautifully told, and it's not written like some non-fiction editorial. It's written as a story, reflecting on the tough times during the Nagasaki bombings. There's quite a bit of story in this, so I would recommend an older age group of children read this. It's not a picture book you'd be reading to preschoolers. I'd say grade five through eight would be a better group, because it does deal with war and death and dying.

I think the book is just marvelous. It tells a really tough tale but in a child friendly way that educates. Especially since this is a truly horrifying story if you go research it. It's worth the read if you want to teach a little history. Touching, sad tales like these need to be told so we don't forget the past and the humanity that can come out of tragedy.

The illustrations are gorgeous and give this weird sense of calming and peace, yet the tale is haunting. It reminds me of crayon or rough water colours. It stood out to me and pulled me to the cover, and then hooked me in the book.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. ( )

Absolutely heartwrenching tale about the bombing of Nagasaki and the impact it can have on the family. As well as the impact it has on a family's thankfulness and family heirlooms.

The author is not Japanese and she acknowledged that she was inspired to write this story based on hearing the subject speak. She put in many trips to Japan as she did research. The illustrator is Japanese and their note is written in both English AND in the original Japanese. So these efforts are ones that I appreciated. ( )

Despite being just half a mile from the ground zero of an atomic bomb going off, 6-year-old Sachiko manages to survive, as do some of her family members, and an antique passed down from generation to generation: a serving dish the family calls “grandmother’s bowl” that takes center place at every meal. Every year on the anniversary of the bombing, Sachiko and her family place chips of ice in the bowl to acknowledge those who died from the bomb and its aftereffects as well as to wish for peace. Eventually it is just Sachiko left and she decides to take her story to the larger world.

This is a very moving true story about a child who survived the unthinkable and her quest as a woman to ensure peace. The author wrote a longer book about Sachiko and her life, choosing to focus here on the story of the bowl alone. While it is simplified for younger readers, it is still rife with war, violence, and death so readers be cautioned.

The author’s note at the end provides more contextual details about the war and Sachiko’s life, although it is still brief and compact. There’s also a recommended reading list, which is more about peace efforts and Japanese culture than WWII history specifically.

I didn’t really love the illustrations in this book. The only information provided is that they are painted digitally; they look almost like sponge paintings to me. I didn’t feel they fit the tone of the book well or added much to the story, with the exception of the one wordless page spread of the bomb exploding depicted by a nearly all black painting. That was very poweful.

All in all, this is a simple enough but touching introduction for young readers to this important and devastating moment in history. ( )

This is a biography of Sachiko Yasui, who survived the bombing of Nagasaki. Her home only half a mile away from ground zero, the only object that was (miraculously) salvaged from the rubble was a serving bowl, fully intact. A devastating story told in a meaningful and memorable way. Educates its readers on the negativities of war. Illustrations are beautiful, which also contradicts the mood behind the event, which increases its effectiveness. A horrifying time in history, but one that is necessary to learn and read about. One thing to note is that I feel like this book slightly underexaggerates the tragedy of the WWII bombings. This is a tough topic to deal with, but sugarcoating too much is never a good idea. Best to be careful and make sure that its readers are educated on what actually happened. Loved the suggested reads included at the end of the book.