An eclectic collection of poems about war and peace; some by well-known poets and others by children, many of whom have had...

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"MUSIC AND DRUM: Voices of War and Peace, Hope and Dreams"

An eclectic collection of poems about war and peace; some by well-known poets and others by children, many of whom have had firsthand experiences of war. The book opens with the now-familiar words of Chief Joseph of the Nez Percâ Tribe: ""Hear me, my warriors: my heart is sick and sad./From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever!"" War has stolen the childhood of 16-year-old Fionnuala Bogues of Belfast, Ireland: ""What about my wasted childhood,/Can you bring it back again?"" A Korean child recalls ""the friend I met while running from the war,"" who in memory has become dearer than any other. One of the most moving selections is by an unknown child from a concentration camp--""what I want to sing about,/That the world is full of loveliness."" Selections by Langston Hughes (""And life for me ain't been no crystal stair"") and Lucille Clifton ("" 'Walk tall in the world,' says Mama to Everett Anderson"") are connected to the main theme mostly by the ghostly, digitally manipulated photograph of a happy Asian mother and son next to a fortress-like wall. Throughout this poignant anthology, the emotional impact of the poetry is extended by newcomer Lill's art.

Pub Date: March 17, 1997

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1997

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