Ellen O'Grady

I never knew that Colin Powell gave his speech to the UN in favor of war with a huge painting of Picasso's "Guernica" behind him covered entirely with a blue cloth adorned with flags. This is one of the many moments in this book when I was left thinking, "Really? That blatant?" I am not naturally gifted with the ability to see the story behind the story (like all of the dead bodies left out of classic Noah's Ark images) as are some people who are well-suited for politics. With her paintings, narration, and pondering, O'Grady gives me a push that actually feels more like a gentle nudge toward being a more critical thinker. (I am a critical thinker when I read--but somehow I don't apply those skills to the real world enough).

I thought this was a "children's book" when I pulled it off of my church's children's library shelf. I don't think it really was supposed to be there...misplaced? Reads like a punch in the gut--poignant and important. Appropriateness for children? I guess you'd gauge that on how ready you feel the particular child is for learning in depth about the Holocaust, which in my opinion is 8th grade for most American children.

In sum, I walk away from this book with an almost tangible change in perspective.
Highly recommended, but I don't know how anyone can find it unless they go to the author's website. It's surprisingly not available anywhere else.… (altro)