BOOKS AND STORIES ABOUT PEACE

For use with children or in intergenerational worship settings
Prepared by Jacqui James, Resource Consultant, Lifespan Faith Development staff group

Brody, Goldspinner, Green, et al., editors. Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope: Stories, Storytelling and Activities for Peace, Justice and the Environment. (New Society Publishers, 2002)
A rich resource about living with ourselves, each other, and the environment.

Cutler, Jane. The Cello of Mr. O. (Dutton Books, 1999)
A stirring message about the resilience of the human spirit, even in the midst of war.

Dr. Seuss. The Butter Battle Book. (Random House, 1984)
Provocative, packs an allegorical punch. The parade of increasingly elaborate (and ridiculous) armaments makes a telling point.

Foreman, Michael. War and Peas. (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1974)
A powerful and percipient fable about war and peace.
Fox, Mem. Feathers and Fools. (Voyager Books, 2000)
A modern fable about two flocks of birds who allow their fear of difference to make them enemies, which leads to hoarding great quantities of weapons.

Garrison, Jennifer. A Million Visions of Peace: Wisdom from the Friends of Old Turtle. (Pfeiffer-Hamilton Publishers, 2001)
Insightful messages from children, colorful pictures, and an activity page at the end of each chapter invites readers to explore peacemaking in their own lives.

Gold, Julie. From a Distance. (Dutton Books, 1999)
A story in which discord and disunity are counterbalanced by a promise of peace and harmony. (Note that the award-winning song by the same title would also be appropriate for use with children).

Lionni, Leo. The Alphabet Tree. (Bt. Bound, 1999)
The letters on a tree find strength in banding together to form words; a caterpillar teaches them to become stronger by forming sentences and writing a message of peace. (This story is also included in Frederick’s Fables by Leo Lionni.)

McDonald, Margaret Read. Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About. (Linnet Books, 1992)
A useful collection of short stories and proverbs intended as discussion starters on war, peace, conflict, and cooperation.

Scholes, Katherine. Peace Begins With You. (Time Warner Libraries, 1994)
Explains in simple terms the concept of peace, why conflicts occur, and how to protect peace.

Thomas, Shelley Moore. Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace. (Albert Whitman & Co., 2002)
An affirming prose poem that asserts that peace begins with simple, everyday acts.

Tsuchiya, Yukio. Faithful Elephants. (Houghton Mifflin, 1951)
Set in Japan during World War II, a zookeeper tells the story of having to kill the elephants in the zoo. A powerful anti-war statement.

Turner, Priscilla. The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999)
Drama and humor are evident in both the words and illustrations of this attractive volume.

Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon St. | Boston, MA 02108 | 617-742-2100