I first saw this book on Reader's First - loved the opening chapters but didn't 'win' a copy, so added it to my 'need to buy' a physical copy list. However, I didn't chance to visit a bookshop due to the global pandemic and then won a signed copy direct from the author via a Twitter competition.
I finally picked up my copy to read on the VE 75th anniversary and flew through the book. The story starts in prose in modern day Japan, then we head back to Hiroshima in 1945 to discover what happened to Ichiro, his family and friends. We then return to modern day Japan and more prose.
I don't want to give any spoilers - this is a book that should be read to appreciate the words and illustrations. It should also be used in secondary schools for English/History/PSHE lessons. I grew up as a teenager with the threat of nuclear war (and my home city of Sheffield was used as the backdrop of Threads - a film about the effects of a nuclear bomb on the city - cue some sleepless nights). This book looks at how lives changed in many ways - not just the physical damage caused.
Definitely a 5 star read for me - beautifully written, presented and thought provoking.
I finally picked up my copy to read on the VE 75th anniversary and flew through the book. The story starts in prose in modern day Japan, then we head back to Hiroshima in 1945 to discover what happened to Ichiro, his family and friends. We then return to modern day Japan and more prose.
I don't want to give any spoilers - this is a book that should be read to appreciate the words and illustrations. It should also be used in secondary schools for English/History/PSHE lessons. I grew up as a teenager with the threat of nuclear war (and my home city of Sheffield was used as the backdrop of Threads - a film about the effects of a nuclear bomb on the city - cue some sleepless nights). This book looks at how lives changed in many ways - not just the physical damage caused.
Definitely a 5 star read for me - beautifully written, presented and thought provoking.