The Day War Came is a poem written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb
It is a heartbreaking read and a wonderful way to begin conversations with children around war and conflicts around the world. Nicola Davies wrote this poem when she heard about a refugee child being refused entry to a school because there was not a chair for her to sit on. In this beautiful book a little girl is at school when war comes. It turned her town to rubble.
“War took everything,
War took everyone.
I was ragged, bloody, all alone.”
The little girl makes a long and difficult journey searching for sanctuary, for refuge.
“But war had followed me.
It was underneath my skin,
Behind my eyes,
And in my dreams.
It had taken possession of my heart.”
The words and pictures of this story are heartbreakingly sad and all the more so as we know that this story is true for so many children around the world.
The little girl is turned away from a school, told there is no room, no chair for her to sit on.
A young boy finds the little girl and brings her a chair, so that she can come to school.
The other school children bring chairs too so that all the children can come to school.
It is such a powerful message and told so beautifully. This is a poignant and thought provoking book.
A reminder that we should all show kindness and make new people feel welcome, no matter where they come from.
We can and should always make room to offer refuge, especially for children x
This book reminds us all of the power of kindness and offers hope for a better future for everyone.