Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The War
Picture Book
For ages 4 and up
Lerner, 2001 ISBN: 978-1575055626
For some long forgotten reason, the Reds and the Blues are at war, Both sides have only eighty soldiers left and the son of the red king, Julius, has challenged the son of the blue king, Fabian, to a duel in the hope that such a fight would put an end to the war. The fearful and unmartial Fabien unfortunately kills Julius, quite by accident. Fabien’s reward is to be banished from his father’s kingdom. Fabien then comes up with a trick to get both the Reds and the Blues to meet. He writes a letter to both kings in which he says that he is with the king of the Yellows and that they are to meet the king of the Yellows for a battle. Neither the Red king nor the Blue king knows that the other is going to be at the battlefield until they meet, face to face, and there is no sign of the Yellows at all. They wait and wait and, it isn’t long before the two kings decide to unite against their common enemy, the non-existent Yellows. Peace is achieved and Fabien finds himself a new home where he is valued and appreciated, with the king of Yellows.
Sparely illustrated and with the simplest of text, Anais Vaugelade’s powerful picture book shows the foolishness of war and lets us see how an indifferent person can rise to greatness.
