Running with Cosmos Flowers: The Children of Hiroshima

Gr 6 Up—A survivor looks back at the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in this harrowing story of heartbreak and survival. Hanako, an elderly woman who lived through the bombing as a child, recounts her memories when she is unexpectedly confronted with the sight of a childhood drawing she created in the wake of World War II. Though Hanako's story is fiction, it feels very much like memoir. Based on survivor accounts, the dropping of the bomb and its aftermath are relayed in intense detail, and illustrated with photographs and real children's drawings. The writing is evocative, though its style, characterized by a lack of quotation marks and a dreamlike quality that floats randomly between past and present tense, may appeal more to adults than children. Adding to its memoirlike mood, the narrative isn't strongly plot-driven. Readers gain a vivid picture of the bombing and the rebuilding of Hiroshima through anecdotes that are sometimes loosely connected but nevertheless leave a strong impression. Perhaps the most heartbreaking scene occurs when Hanako finds out the fate of her mother and baby brother. This book will appeal to those who were touched by the 1988 animated film Grave of the Fireflies and will undoubtedly prompt readers to learn more about the bombing of Hiroshima and the desperation of daily life in Japan immediately after the war. Children may not pick up this book immediately but will appreciate its value if led to it.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA