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The world is rife with conflict, combat, and violence; there's no better time for peace. But how can we manifest peace? How can we promote peace together—in our communities, across our nations, on our planet?
Award-winning illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin explores these ideas and more in her poetic new picture book Peace (Atheneum, 2013). Featuring children's artwork as well as Halperin's finely detailed, thoughtfully paneled illustrations, this well-chosen collection of uplifting quotes speaks to the age-old question posed in the ancient Chinese Tao Te Ching: How can we bring peace to the world?
Peace on earth? It's about time.
AUTHORLINK: How did Peace come about? Was it challenging to find a publisher for this concept book (as opposed to storybook); did editors share your vision?
“I listened to [longtime peace activist] Colman McCarthy lecture about his efforts to study and teach peace.” —HALPERIN
HALPERIN: I listened to [longtime peace activist] Colman McCarthy lecture about his efforts to study and teach peace. Inspired, I began reading about the Nobel Peace Prize winners and their work. I also started collecting quotes. As a child I always loved reading Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.
When I was approached to work on a book reflecting an aspect of war, I suggested a book about peace. I read several quotes to the editor, Rubin Pfeffer, and the Thich Nhat Hanh quote was chosen as the foundation for the book and Peace grew from there. [Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh's quote: "If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work."]
AUTHORLINK: How did you go about finding and selecting the various quotes? Did you have to keep your target age range—picture book readers—in mind when choosing? How did you decide which quotes to place where?
“I am asking the personal question: What can you do as an individual to "get better" at promoting peace?” —HALPERIN
HALPERIN: As I was researching Peace, I began to feel different topics emerge, such as listening, forgiving, helping, being sensitive to the environment, compassion, empathy, and nature. I nested them together. I am asking the personal question: What can you do as an individual to "get better" at promoting peace? I thought including thinkers from all over the world, from 551 BC to today, was an important aspect as something we all have been striving for, for a long, long time. The placement of the quotes was a collaborative effort. The quotes are designed for both children and adults to talk and think about and eventually model. “Peace begins with a smile,” by Mother Teresa, is a nice place to start.
AUTHORLINK: Talk about the book's structure, cleverly executed through the illustrations. I love how in the first half situations are visually presented that need a thoughtful, caring solution—what to do with a vacant city lot, grandma washing dishes while the kids lounge, kids in need of a school building, land in need of trees—and in the second half wonderful solutions are revealed.
HALPERIN: When I first searched Google Images for "peace," the predominant image was the peace sign in many, many interpretations. I felt we needed more images to associate with an understanding of the different aspects of peace. It seemed the best way for me to explain acts of peace was to draw the problem and solution as a way of understanding. Modeling is a great teacher. I am hoping to inspire modeling from parents, siblings and neighbors. Research has indicated we learn 80 percent of our knowledge visually.
The book had its own journey, with multiple layouts and three different editors. It was the idea of the editor Ruta Rimas to place the problem and solution in the two halves of the book. When she first e-mailed me her thoughts about the book, I knew her instincts were very acute, and I fell in love with her thinking.
AUTHORLINK: I also love how the planet earth is at the center of every spread. I'm betting that was intentional?
HALPERIN: Typically, we see the earth from the vantage point of the USA in the center. The book is about peace in the world, so I felt we needed to get to know it better visually. I especially like the view where the Pacific Ocean is dominant—a nice reminder of the responsibility we have to the life in our oceans.
AUTHORLINK: The inclusion of children's artwork is brilliant. Did you plan to do that from the get-go? Why include children's art? How did you solicit the artwork?
“The anchor for this book for me is the Gandhi quote “If we are to teach real peace in this world, if we are to wage a real war against war, we shall have to start with the children"”
—HALPERIN
HALPERIN: The anchor for this book for me is the Gandhi quote “If we are to teach real peace in this world, if we are to wage a real war against war, we shall have to start with the children"—having their thoughts, their images, and their voices be the bedrock or seed we want to grow. When we invite children to create peace, we might just get some new models.
I have been drawing with children in a project called Drawing Children into Reading (www.drawingchildrenintoreading.com), so I sent out an e-mail to all the teachers I have worked with, and their students were invited to send me their work. In looking at their work, I also find it very touching to listen to them. The voice of children might be just the flashlight we all need.
AUTHORLINK: Your own gorgeous illustrations are incredibly detailed and meticulous. Can you walk us through the process of creating a two-page spread? Where do you begin? How long does it take? How long did it take to complete the book?
HALPERIN: The book started in 2008, so it has been in the works for five years. There were three different editors on the project. The book has been like bread with new yeast with every editor. The revisions and new directions gave more and more definition to our question: How to create peace? There was a great deal of researching of children and their settings around the world. Most of the time was spent on the ideas behind the pictures. To me, pictures are always metaphors for an idea. I do not copy photographs. For example, research just tells me what the type of tree is or the type of shoe a child might be wearing. The final sketches are what take the longest (five years), and doing the finished art may only take four months.
“. . . children or adults are invited to paint a chair and put one or more peace quotes on it so someone could “sit in peace.”
—HALPERIN
HALPERIN: Sit in Peace is one idea where children or adults are invited to paint a chair and put one or more peace quotes on it so someone could “sit in peace.” I am making some myself, and one will be on the website soon. I am hoping children, teachers, or anyone will send me a photo of their chair and we can all share chairs!
Another idea is to use some Peace Papers I am creating. In 1884 students practiced handwriting by copying proverbs. I am doing a take-off on that idea with quotes about peace, and anyone can use these papers to teach manuscript or cursive. Children can also go to the site and learn how to draw the globe from various points of view, the peace dove, the lotus, and more. Drawing is peaceful, so it is a nice combination.
I am hoping the website is another voice we can all use to share, inspire, teach, and experience the various aspects of peace. We want to add everyone’s stories, drawings, writings, songs, videos—and more and more chairs!
AUTHORLINK: What do you hope readers—young and not so young—take away from Peace?
HALPERIN: Peace.
To learn more about Wendy Anderson Halperin and her books, visit www.wendyhalperin.com.
About Susan VanHecke
Susan VanHecke is an author and editor of books for adults and children. Her titles for young people include Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers (Boyds Mills, 2011), Rock 'N' Roll Soldier (HarperCollins, 2009), and An Apple Pie For Dinner (Cavendish, 2009). To find out more about Susan and her books, visit www.susanvanhecke.com and www.susanvanheckeeditorial.com.
