Peaceful Heroes

Winter tells the story of fourteen peacemakers who are all from different time periods and cultures, but each speak out against the injustice they see to try and make a change. It shares the stories of Jesus of Nazareth, Gandhi, MLK Jr., Sojourner Truth, and Clara Barton. I was familiar with all of these individuals and their inspiring work, but I learned about many other peaceful heroes in this book. Corrie ten Boom and Ginetta Sagan worked to hide out and help Jewish people in their respective countries of Holland and Italy who were trying to flee from fascist rulers. Abdul Ghaffar Khan believed that Islam was a peaceful religion and organized a nonviolent group to protest for rights for Pashtuns, which is a reminder that Islamic show more cultures are not always violent despite media representations. There were many other inspiring stories of other peaceful heroes that are not as widely known. The illustrations are powerful interpretations of each individuals lives, and the cover is a profound depiction of red poppies growing out of a tank, representing how these heroes chose love and hope over instruments of war to create change. show less

Allow me to pluck out some lines from this book that gave me pause:

"...it is important to remember that not all Islamic people are violent." (What if he said, "It is important to remember that not all Christians are racist"?)

"The world's original peaceful hero is...Jesus." (Really?)

"[before Jesus:] everyone thought you were supposed to hate and fight your enemies." (Again, really?)

"Firemen...do their job with no hope of ever being famous. For this reason, they are perhaps the most selfless of all peaceful heroes." (Yes, for we know most selfless people are really just seeking fame.)

Overall, this book is actually very nice, but it might be hard for young readers to separate its facts from the author's opinions and beliefs. That said, if show more you know you're getting into, it's not bad. I appreciated the diversity of the heroes, though it's very Jesus-centric in the beginning. show less

There are two reasons I enjoyed the book Peaceful Heroes by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Sean Addy. I liked that the author included characters from a range of cultures and that the information was presented in a kid-friendly way. These characters include Clara Barton, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, and Meena Keshwar Kamal. The author’s range of heroes from different cultures and countries is useful in engaging readers from all backgrounds. The information the author provides is presented in a positive way as it speaks of the great attributions these heroes have made to our world. For example, Clara Barton founded the Red Cross, while Ghandi promoted peace without violence. I also liked that the information was able to be show more related and connected to all people. For example, the characters come from those of American, Asian, African, and different religious backgrounds. The overall message of Peaceful Heroes is peace. We as people should live harmoniously and peacefully with others, while doing good for others. show less

Beautifully written tribute to 14 heroes. I would proudly add this book to my classroom collection. This book will be a great springboard to a Social Studies unit.

Very good introduction to some of the worlds atrocities such as the Holocaust and fourteen peaceful warriors who risked their lives to help others.

Throughout history, we have had many heroes who have "fought" for a cause in nonviolent ways. This book list 14 of these peaceful heroes and describes what they fought for. This is a good book to introduce historical figures to a class.