A Bowl Full of Peace

This harrowing tale shares the true story of Sachiko Yasui, whose entire family was killed by the blast or aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. The story centers on a family heirloom, an ornamented green bowl. As the story begins, Sachiko’s family is gathered around the bowl, which is filled with “good things to eat.” As the family feels the impact of a crescendoing world war, the food available for the bowl is reduced until it is only “wheat balls floating in boiled water.” Yet every time before the family eats, they repeat together, “Itadakimasu,” (“We humbly receive this food”). When the atomic bomb is dropped on their city, her baby brother is killed by the blast, followed by her two older brothers, her older sister, her father, and her mother, who all die from radiation. Remarkably, the green bowl survives the bomb blast, and every August, Sachiko places ice—the only thing that could soothe her family’s radiation-burned throats—in the bowl in remembrance of family, loss, and hope of enduring peace. Kusaka’s illustrations have a stark, unembellished aspect, heightening the harshness of the haunting story they movingly portray. Stelson, who learned the story from personally meeting with Sachiko over many years, strikes a balance between conveying and condemning the destruction and loss experienced while giving full weight to the inspiring message of hope and resilience that helped Sachiko endure with an attitude reflected in the declaration, “Itadakimasu.”