Peaceful pieces: Poems and Quilts by Anna Grossnickle Hines

I am working my way through the riches of the blog Kinderbookswitheverything.  This blog contains a wealth of wonderful books and I am making a list of books I want to discover and read. I working my way backwards from the beginning back in 2009.  The post of 19th March 2011 celebrating National Quilting Day caught my eye.  Especially the mention of the book Peaceful Pieces. This book contains peace poems suitable for ages 7+ and the illustrations are made from quilting hence the title Peaceful Pieces.

Even though this beautiful poetry book was published in 2011 I am happy to report it is still available both as a new book for about AU$35 but I also found used copies for less than AUS$20. 

This book would be a wonderful addition to any school library. It could be enjoyed at any time but it would be especially useful to share this book for ANZAC Day or Remembrance Day. Peaceful Pieces by Anna Grossnickle Hines won numerous awards: Jane Addams Children's Book Award Winner, Indiana Young Hoosier Award Master List, Ohio Choose to Read Program. Take a look at the trailer on the Macmillan US site. Teachers could use this book to inspire students to write poems.

Here is one of the poems that touched my heart:

Peace: A recipe

Open minds - at least two.

Willing hearts - the same.

Rinse well with compassion.

Stir in a fair amount of trust.

Season with forgiveness.

Simmer in a sauce of respect.

A dash of humour brightens the flavor.

Best served with hope.

If you love illustrations made from quilts here are some that might be in your local school or public library:

Paulette Bourgeois and by Stephane Jorisch. Oma’s Quilt.

Jeff Brumbeau and Gail De Marcken. The Quiltmaker’s Gift. 

Eleanor Coerr and Bruce Degen. The Josefina Story Quilt.  

Valeria Flournoy and Jerry Pinkney. The Patchwork Quilt. 

Deborah Hopkinson and James Ransome. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. 

Tony Johnston and Tomie de Paola. The Quilt Story.  

Shirley Kurtz and Cheryl Benner. 2001. The Boy and the Quilt. 

Anne D Love and Ronald Himler. Bess’s Log Cabin Quilt. 

Patricia Polacco The Keeping Quilt. 

Phyllis Root. The Name Quilt. 

Here are some excellent books to share when you are talking about Peace.