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2nd out of 28 books
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12 voters
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The Enemy: A Book About Peace
In this moving picture book, award-winning collaborators Davide Cali and Serge Bloch present a fable for our time about two lonely soldiers facing each other across a barren battlefield. What each discovers, as the story unfolds, is that the enemy is not a faceless beast, but rather a real person with family, friends, and dreams.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
April 14th 2009
by Schwartz & Wade
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This is a book for children, or is it? about the futility of war. Uncluttered text line drawings in black, white, khaki and a hint of red render the simple message powerfully. The book has a World War I trench scenario with two enemy soldiers each in a trench following orders and the manual, which they were given at the beginning of the war, showing how the enemy are always beasts capable of killing families, pets and so on. As each soldier discovers his enemy’s empty hole and the unexpected fam...more
Carolyn
rated it
wide reading for CI546
grade level: simple book (elementary) but could be read by all grade levels / ages
genre: picture book / realistic fiction
themes: war, peace, differences, similarities
cultures: none. any. ever. technically I can see people arguing that they are white men since the paper is white but they are stick figures w/o race if you ask me.
awards: none specific to this book (I don't think) but the author has won various awards (particula...more
grade level: simple book (elementary) but could be read by all grade levels / ages
genre: picture book / realistic fiction
themes: war, peace, differences, similarities
cultures: none. any. ever. technically I can see people arguing that they are white men since the paper is white but they are stick figures w/o race if you ask me.
awards: none specific to this book (I don't think) but the author has won various awards (particula...more
I thought this one was very powerful. The only illustration that gave me a bit of difficulty was the one where the enemy (with the devil tail) is walking away leaving dead people and animals in his wake. Because of that (and the subject in general) I would recommend it for older children.
I had a copy checked out when my niece came to visit. She saw it in my room and sat down to read it. At the end she told me, "I really liked that one because they both threw each other a bottle to...more
I had a copy checked out when my niece came to visit. She saw it in my room and sat down to read it. At the end she told me, "I really liked that one because they both threw each other a bottle to...more
Though the title of this book may throw you, it is a book of peace. Two soldiers fire at each other every day from their individual holes. Convinced that the "enemy" is less than human, the narrator describes how he must protect and defend himself. Finally, in a desperate drive for the war's end the narrator leaves his hole, to discover that his enemy is very much like himself, after all.
I picked this book up because the story was so simple and yet so powerful.
I ...more
I picked this book up because the story was so simple and yet so powerful.
I ...more
Though the pictures are simple and cartoonish, the content of this book could definitely scare little kids. The story is told from the perspective of a solitary soldier who believes his enemy is "not a human being," and that the enemy will "kill our families and our pets." Of course, the point of the book is that the enemy soldier has been told the same thing--that neither wants to kill, but both feel they must.
As a book that addresses a complex subject in a simple...more
As a book that addresses a complex subject in a simple...more
this is an incredible children's book about war and peace. set in the trenches of an unknown time and place, one person describes the loneliness, isolation, and desperation of warfare. what is an enemy? is it a person or a monster? do we believe everything we read in our manuals? or! do we venture toward uncharted waters and throw a message in a bottle to our enemy: peace, always peace.
from the book:
"a long time ago, on the first day of the war, we were given a manual...more
from the book:
"a long time ago, on the first day of the war, we were given a manual...more
This is a very good picture book. It talks of two soldiers in a war, that only involves the two of them. It is also about their feelings and thoughts about each other, and how they change throughout the book.
I started this book because I had to do an English assignment on a picture book. Also because I like picture books that teach kids about things like peace, like this book. Another good example is The Dot. I finished this book because I found this book very cute, and funny.
I wou...more
I started this book because I had to do an English assignment on a picture book. Also because I like picture books that teach kids about things like peace, like this book. Another good example is The Dot. I finished this book because I found this book very cute, and funny.
I wou...more
This is a book about two soldiers engaging in a battle of trench warfare. At first they are focused on their cause, but as the war rages on they find it harder to hold on to the beliefs they were taught. I thought this book did a really great job of conveying a very difficult concept using a picture book format. The text was short but very powerful, and this would be a great book to use when teaching about visual literacy and inferencing. I also like that there are many opportunites to lead stud...more
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SO GOOD!!!!! I love this quick little book; it'll absolutely become a classic about war. what's the soldier in the other foxhole doing? thinking? who did he leave at home? is he REALLY an enemy?? and is he even really there? who says? I loved this, and so did everyone I showed it to afterward. the art is nice and simple - reminiscent of "Eloise" and "Olivia" with the three-color palette. Absolutely recommended! It's one that I want to buy, and am not content to have just read...more
This is a book about war, with a plea for peace. It shows the futility and stupidity of trench warfare, with an allegory for war in general. It has sparse cartoons, and an interesting narrative with a sardonic wit that is not really appropriate for younger children. Recommend for older children reading with parents; this book provides a wonderful opportunity to start a discussion about war.
This book was about war. It would be appropriate for the kids if something major had just happened, like another terrorist attack or maybe if their was some serious fighting in the class. I wouldn't just read it for a read aloud. It did also have illustration of dead people with blood. Wouldn't read it to any grade younger than third.
I really loved this book, I brought it home for my 8 year old and we had quite an involved discussion about the book and what it means..... I don't agree with the picture book status, I think it needs to be in the Jfic collection for sure...
I highly recommend this, -a great place to start a conversation about the topic.
I highly recommend this, -a great place to start a conversation about the topic.
Beth Chandler
rated it
In simple terms and clear but not graphic illustrations, this book explains what war is like psychologically and sociologically. Excellent for showing a elementary-school-aged the other side of the "glory" of war.
Definite purchase for Quaker and other nonviolence-oriented children's collections.
Definite purchase for Quaker and other nonviolence-oriented children's collections.
Picture book good for older readers and discussion of what war is and why we fight it.
"Sometimes I think the others have forgotten us. Maybe the war is over and no one remembered to tell us. Or maybe the world does not exist anymore."
"Sometimes I think the others have forgotten us. Maybe the war is over and no one remembered to tell us. Or maybe the world does not exist anymore."
A wonderful book to share with children. From my friends who have served in the Army, I know that what is attributed to "the manual" in the book, was part of their training -- dehumanize "the enemy".
This is a great children's book but I wasn't sure how to explain it exactly. The girls loved it and wanted me to read and re-read several times. It's an interesting way to view what war means for kids.
I like this book, but I would not use it with young children. It really emphasizes the pointlessness of war. The illustrations, by Serge Bloch, are really interesting and would be good for an art study.
An interesting perspective on war. The simplicity of the art adds nicely to the isolation, fear, and hope of a soldier. I think if I had read this as a child, it would have given me nightmares...
Very well done with illustrations and text to explain war and "enemies" to children. It's marketed as a picture book, but is definitely for children at least middle elementary age.
Genre: Picture Book
This is a really powerful picture book about peace. I think its a must read. The illustrations are simple and engaging.
This is a really powerful picture book about peace. I think its a must read. The illustrations are simple and engaging.
I absolutely loved this book that focused on the pointlessness of war.
I would use this when discussing war and also to introduce a writing lesson.
I would use this when discussing war and also to introduce a writing lesson.
A wonderful picture book for older readers that shines a light on war and peace. Particularly poigant while watching The Pacific mini-series.
"war, peace, soldiers, philosophical, example from WW2, story is well handled for the audience but it's solutions are unrealistic"
A book about the "others" we fight - so simple, so clean, so easy for all of us, even grown-ups, to understand. A book about peace - hooray!
Why do we fight wars? Because of everything we've hear about the enemy. But what if we knew the enemy had a face? What if the enemy knew us?
interesting perspective on peace - (not sure about picture book status)
A book about the senselessness of war. Good picture book for adults.
Need to reread and think about his one. Very simply told but lots of hidden meaning.
Beautiful book about perspective.
Beautiful book about peace!
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