Peace Is a BIG Idea

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." - Martin Luther King, Jr., 1967

Difficult to define and even harder to illustrate, peace is a timely message that needs to be shared again and again. What better way to celebrate the birthday of Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy of nonviolent protest than to pursue peace? These picture books help kids and their families explore the BIG questions about what peace is, and how we find it for ourselves and share it with others.

Perfect for introducing peace to the preschool set, The Peace Book is a list of activities for making the world a better place. Many of the activities are out of the reach of most kids on their own, but the book may spark discussions on community projects with older readers. Author Todd Parr's message is clear: "Peace is being different, feeling good about yourself and helping others. The world is a better place because of YOU!"

Community is at the heart of Peace Is An Offering which again does a great job of breaking a big concept into concrete activities that kids can relate.

All the World, while moving sweetly from part to whole, shows the tremendous personal peace found in our time spent together as families and communities. Savvy readers will enjoy finding the quiet links between the double page spreads.

This gorgeously photographed, simply worded A Little Peace shows us how peace is a personal choice made by each of us that will change the world. In contrast, Wendy Halperin's Peace starts on a global level between governments, and she traces the effects of political peace down to the community level where the small kindnesses rule.

For more great ways to share a message of peace and unity, take a look at the Unity.Kindness.Peace. booklist put out by the Association for Library Service to Children.