Kathy Beckwith, illustrated by Lea Lyon
Playing War
Tilbury House, 2005.

Ages 8-12

Playing War, about a group of friends who enjoy dividing into soldiers and enemies to play war - gathering “sticks for guns, and pine cones for grenades” - brings forth questions that most parents of young children ask themselves, at some point: is it okay to let kids “play war”? Are they just working out what they don’t understand through play, or should this kind of play be curbed? How to talk to kids about the fact that war is a real, painful reality for many around the world?

With Playing War, author Kathy Beckwith has chosen the harder route to address these questions. In a very simple, layered and engaging story, she allows her characters to come up with answers on their own, as a natural result of befriending a new neighbor who has lost his family in a real war. The children’s play, dialogue and curiosity are very realistic, as is their attempt to make sense of what Sameer, the new boy, tells them, “I wasn’t a soldier. Nobody in my family was. But we got in the war anyway, when they blew up our house.”

Author Kathy Beckwith’s experiences as a mediation trainer working with schools and community groups clearly informs her writing, and we are all lucky for it. The pairing of her thought-provoking subject with Lea Lyon’s gentle watercolors make for an all-round winning book that helps build empathy for the reality and plight of those affected by war, and to empower children to choose peace, even when it’s all “just a game.”

This book, published in 2005, has been and will continue to be treasured by teachers and parents looking to address “war play” in a way that kids can relate to and understand. No young child should be without its message.

Aline Pereira
November 2008