Inspiring Picture Books Related to 9/11!
REVIEW
30,000 Stitches stunningly portrays the story of the large flag that was hung from one of the damaged buildings after the tragedy of 9/11 occurred. Readers follow the flag after it is taken down to be retired but ends up traveling the country being repaired using other damaged flags. The flag was taken to each of the 50 states where it was worked on by select individuals and honored at each location. Many people participated in reconstructing the flag including families, firefighters, veterans, teachers, and students. Stories of courage and strength were told at each of the 50 ceremonies that were held. The flag made it's way back to New York where it currently resides at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum as a reminder of the sacrifices made and the strength and resilience of the American people. This book is not only touching and beautifully and simply written, but the illustrations are stunning. The illustrations appear to have been created on fabric and stitches are included throughout. The amazing combination of text and illustration make this a book that is both beautiful and inspiring.
REVIEW
Planted back in the 1970s, a Callery pear tree was planted in the plaza across from the World Trade Center Towers. For many years it grew and provided a home for birds, and shade for people passing through as well as being one of the first trees to bloom. On 9/11, the tree was buried under tons of rubble leaving the tree broken and severely damaged. Yet as the tree itself tells the story, it was still alive. Using the personification of the tree, Rubin tells a slightly fictionalized version of the true story of this one tree. After being rescued, the tree was taken to a park to see if it could be saved. After nine years of tender care, the tree had recovered enough to be returned to its former location. Joining with a forest of other trees, the pear tree sits near the memorial to the fallen. It's a powerful reminder of how healing can come after tragedy, even though the scars remain. Rubin's gorgeous illustrations highlight the darkness of the tragedy followed by the recovery and growth of the tree. At the end of the book, the author explains the creative license he took with the story in order to create the feelings of recovery and hope that the tree symbolizes. He also shares background information about 9/11 and the tree. Sources are included in the back matter. This lovely book provides a powerful way to look back at 9/11 without focusing on the horror and strife involved. This book would compare well with Marcie Colleen's Survivor Tree in helping children see how differently people choose to tell the same story.
REVIEW
In telling the somewhat fictionalized tale of the Callery pear tree that somehow survived being buried under tons of rubble on 9/11, Colleen uses the four seasons to highlight the change from tragedy to hope and memory. The spare text paints a poetic picture of the tree and its journey to recovery. Becker's beautiful illustrations take the text and show in stunning detail how the tree was discovered to be alive and spent years recovering before returning to stand near the memorial created to remember those lost. Colleen focuses on how the tree stood silent and almost invisible in the 30 years before the tragedy, and how it now stands as a testament to the resilience of life as the new growth arises from the scars of that tragic day. This remarkable book makes for an interesting contrast to Sean Rubin's This Very Tree. Both books share the same general story and themes, but it's portrayed in such different ways that comparing the two makes for a very interesting exercise.
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