The Day War Came

By Nicola Davies, Rebecca Cobb (Illustrator)

A child's world shatters as war arrives, leaving her to seek hope in a foreign land.

5.5/7 Bookroo expert·4.4/5 Goodreads · 1,234 ratings

32 pages· 498 words· Est. 4 min read-aloud

$16.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon.

Bookroo's summary

A young girl’s life is upended when war devastates her town, forcing her on a perilous journey alone. Stripped of everything familiar, she faces a world that offers no welcome. Yet, amidst the despair, a simple act of kindness from another child offers a glimmer of hope. Will this small gesture be enough to rebuild her shattered world? Experience her poignant journey through evocative language and illustrations that capture the resilience of the human spirit.

From the publisher

Imagine if, on an ordinary day, after a morning of studying tadpoles and drawing birds at school, war came to your town and turned it to rubble. Imagine if you lost everything and everyone, and you had to make a dangerous journey all alone. Imagine that there was no welcome at the end, and no room for you to even take a seat at school. And then a child, just like you, gave you something ordinary but so very, very precious. In lyrical, deeply affecting language, Nicola Davies’s text combines with Rebecca Cobb’s expressive illustrations to evoke the experience of a child who sees war take away all that she knows.

Awards

Jane Addams Children's Book Honor (2019)

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Words: 498
Reading age: 5–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: ~440L

Themes & topics

Books about war Books about losing Books about bravery Books about refugees Books about social themes

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.5

out of 7

5.5

“This book is deep and scary and poignant and will stir your soul. The little girl does lose everything though—her mother, father and baby brother all die (not gory, but she comes home to just a black pit where she left her happy family in the morning) as do all of her school friends, so I'd recommend parents read this before reading it to children to make sure it's appropriate for your child's maturity level.”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

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