Author: Davide Cali
Website: http://www.davidecali.com/
Illustrator: Serge Bloch
Website: http://www.sergebloch.net/
Media Used: Illustrations were rendered in China ink on paper and photography
Summary: Two soldiers wait for each other in separate holes on a battlefield. The soldiers have been told that they are enemies and that the other will kill them. If only they could end the war...
Personal Thoughts: This is a very thought provoking type of book. The drawings are very simple - a mixture of doodle like drawings (reminiscent of Shel Silverstein) and photos with splashes of army green and red. As a result, I thought that the story and text was going to be something simple or that there would be a funny twist in the end. But this book really tried to explain the pointlessness in war. While there was some humor to be found - the soldier dressed as a bush hiding from the "lion" - it didn't belittle war. Instead the actions of the soldier being mimicked by the other soldier showed how alike two parties at war can be - in their actions and in their thinking. The soldier thoughts about hoping the war will end, protecting his family, and what he would do if the enemy surrendered are insightful. The final scene, is so hopeful, yet fragile - will the enemy get the message? A great opening introduction into a discussion about war.
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