Peace Tree from Hiroshima A Little Japanese Bonsai with a Big Story

andlt;bandgt;The Peace Tree from Hiroshimaandlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;This true children's story is told by a little bonsai tree that lived with the same family in the Japanese city of Hiroshima for more than 300 years before being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1976 as a gesture of friendship between America and Japan to celebrate the American Bicentennial.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The tree is called Miyajima after the island on which it first grew, before being gently uprooted and brought to the home of the Yamaki family, where it was lovingly pruned and trimmed by generations of fathers and sons.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;At the end of the Second World War, an atomic bomb destroys Hiroshima. Many people die, but the Yamaki family and Miyajima survive. One day, a truck comes to take Miyajima away. The little tree is on its way to the National Arboretum in Washington as a gift of friendship from Japan to America. Miyajima is very proud, but also sad to leave the Yamaki family. At the end of the book, Masaru, the elderly grandfather of the family, and his ten-year-old grandson Akira, make a surprise visit to Washington to visit their much missed and beloved family member.

"This is a story about the art of caring. Its message will speak to the heart of any child who reads it and nourish his or her roots in the process." and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Ron Himler, illustrator of andlt;iandgt;Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranesandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;

andlt;bandgt;"andhellip;this 350-year-old bonsai had survived the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima! No one in America knew anything about this until then.andlt;/bandgt; The survival of this old bonsai, which had been sitting on a bench behind a wall at the Yamaki home not far from the epicenter of the blast, was in and of itself astonishing. But just as amazing were the facts that Mr. Yamaki had not mentioned this critical fact when he donated the bonsai, that he had given such a masterpiece to America, his former enemy, and that in making the gift Mr. Yamaki must have been forgiving America for dropping the bomb on his home city. andlt;Iandgt;In an instant, the Yamaki Pine became an international symbol of peace.andlt;/Iandgt;" and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Felix Laughlin, President of the National Bonsai Foundationandlt;/bandgt;

"As a documentary film producer who has focused on the extraordinary peacemaking gestures of children from Washington, DC and Hiroshima, Japan in the immediate aftermath of war, I was touched to learn about the Yamaki bonsai tree who survived the bombing and went on to become a symbol of peace. This is a warm-hearted story with inspiring illustrations by Japanese illustrator Kazumi Wilds." and#8212; Shizumi Sigeto Manale, film producer, andlt;iandgt;Pictures from a Hiroshima Schoolyardandlt;/iandgt;, and author of the companion book, andlt;iandgt;Running with Cosmos Flowers: The Children of Hiroshimaandlt;/iandgt;

"Unforgettable journey of the Peace Tree through generations of family, time, and place to provide the healing needed after Hiroshima. andlt;bandgt;A great read aloud and must have in any elementary school library collection!andlt;/bandgt; It is so thoughtfully written and filled with child appropriate illustrations of a difficult time in history. The book spans many teachable moments of an elementary curriculum." and#8212; Angela Smith, Sidwell Friends Lower School Librarian

"If you are looking to instill a bit of history and culture into your child, this is a great book." and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Parenting Healthyandlt;/bandgt;

"Picture books that deal with adult themes can be difficult to get right, particularly when there's war involved but this one manages to light up some dark material. Based on true events, the titular tree is a white pine that was taken from its home as a seedling and trimmed into bonsai form. As it grew it was passed down from generation to generation and even survived the bombing at Hiroshima. The more-than-300-year old tree was eventually sent to America at part of her 200th birthday celebrations, a symbol of friendship between the two formerly warring countries." and#8212:andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;Sydney Morning Heraldandlt;/bandgt;andlt;/iandgt;

**Winner of the 2015 Gelett Burgess Award for Best Intercultural Book**
**Winner of the 2015 Silver Evergreen Medal for World Peace**
This true children's story is told by a little bonsai tree, called Miyajima, that lived with the same family in the Japanese city of Hiroshima for more than 300 years before being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1976 as a gesture of friendship between America and Japan to celebrate the American Bicentennial.
From the Book:
"In 1625, when Japan was a land of samurai and castles, I was a tiny pine seedling. A man called Itaro Yamaki picked me from the forest where I grew and took me home with him. For more than three hundred years, generations of the Yamaki family trimmed and pruned me into a beautiful bonsai tree. In 1945, our household survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In 1976, I was donated to the National Arboretum in Washington D.C., where I still live today the oldest and perhaps the wisest tree in the bonsai museum.""

**Winner of the 2017 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award **
**Winner of the 2015 Gelett Burgess Award for Best Intercultural Book**
**Winner of the 2015 Silver Evergreen Medal for World Peace**

This true children's story is told by a little bonsai tree, called Miyajima, that lived with the same family in the Japanese city of Hiroshima for more than 300 years before being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1976 as a gesture of friendship between America and Japan to celebrate the American Bicentennial.

From the Book:
"In 1625, when Japan was a land of samurai and castles, I was a tiny pine seedling. A man called Itaro Yamaki picked me from the forest where I grew and took me home with him. For more than three hundred years, generations of the Yamaki family trimmed and pruned me into a beautiful bonsai tree. In 1945, our household survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In 1976, I was donated to the National Arboretum in Washington D.C., where I still live today--the oldest and perhaps the wisest tree in the bonsai museum."

This true children's story is told by a little bonsai tree, called Miyajima, that lived with the same family in the Japanese city of Hiroshima for more than 300 years before being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1976 as a gesture of friendship between America and Japan to celebrate the American Bicentennial.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;"In 1625, when Japan was a land of samurai and castles, I was a tiny pine seedling. A man called Itaro Yamaki picked me from the forest where I grew and took me home with him. For more than three hundred years, generations of the Yamaki family trimmed and pruned me into a beautiful bonsai tree. In 1945, our household survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In 1976, I was donated to the National Arboretum in Washington D.C., where I still live todayand#8212;the oldest and perhaps the wisest tree in the bonsai museum."andlt;/iandgt;

andlt;bandgt;Sandra Mooreandlt;/bandgt; began her writing career as a ghost writer for a senator on Capitol Hill, and has worked as a freelance journalist specializing in writing about children and families. She studied writing for children at the Washington Writers' Center. This is her first book.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;Kazumi Wildsandlt;/bandgt; illustrated Tuttle's andlt;iandgt;All About Japanandlt;/iandgt; (Tuttle, 2011) and has illustrated several other children's books, including andlt;iandgt;The Wakame Gatherersandlt;/iandgt; (Shen's Books, 2007). She lives in Japan but is currently studying in the United States. See her work at wildskazumi-picturebook.jimdo.com