What is War? is a book designed to offer a simple answer to all the questions kids might ask when hearing about war and conflict. Why do countries or different ideological groups fight? What are the key points between different types of conflict? Is there such a thing as a just war? What are the tools used to wage war, from weapons to propaganda? How can we end wars, and who are the real winners and losers? This book tells the reader through clear explanations punctuated by historical and contemporary examples what war is and how it can be prevented. It is part of a series of books for children designed to provide them with all the information they need to understand the complex world we live in. . From the award-winning illustrator of the bestselling My First Book of Quantum Physics . Introduces children aged 8 and up to complex global social issues in a sensitive and balanced way . Characterful illustrations appropriate for the readership and subject matter . Easy-to-follow, bite-size text . Includes a case study on the war in Ukraine AGES: 8 plus AUTHOR: Eduard Altarriba is a graphic designer and illustrator. He runs Alababalà, a Barcelona-based independent studio producing games, exhibitions, animation, apps and workbooks for children that are practical and fun. 90 illustrations
Table of Contents:
Conflict 4
Who's who 6
International actors 7
Power 8
Business 9
Arms 10
Technology 12
War in history 14
Just war 16
International humanitarian law 17
Revolution 18
War between states 20
The Cold War 22
Missiles 23
Military power 24
NATO and the Warsaw Pact 26
The end of the war between states? 27
Types of modern warfare 28
Military interventions 29
How does a war end? 30
Peace and mediation 31
Consequences 32
Report: North Korea 34
Dossier: The war in Ukraine 35
About the Author :
Eduard Altarriba is a graphic designer and illustrator. He runs Alababala, a studio producing games, exhibitions, animation, apps and practical and fun workbooks for children. He has illustrated seven previous books published by GMC Publications: My First Book of Electromagnetism, My First Book of Microbes, My First Book of Quantum Physics, My First Book of Relativity, My First Book of the Cosmos, Discovering Architecture and Discovering Energy. Eduard lives in Barcelona, Spain.
Review :
What is war? It is perhaps a sad indictment of our world that this is a question we still have to face this question from our children, and this book attempts to address the many complexities that war brings. ...We can look at over-arching themes of power, revolution and propaganda, or explore more focused topics such as the history of war, military powers, or humanitarian law. This book does not talk down to children, detailing how war can become a business through the employment of mercenaries or involvement of arms dealers. ...this book would be an excellent addition to Y6 classes, and would comfortably support Key Stage 3 students in their learning as well.
Even as an adult I have SO many questions about War and Migration. We see reports about conflict and people fleeing their countries every day on the news. Did you know that there are rules which govern what an army can and cannot do? Do you know what a Revolution is? Who are NATO? What are the stages of a peace process? What are borders? Did you know that a person can have more than one passport? These two book brilliantly break down these huge topic, and look at war and its combination of causes through infographics and bitesize descriptions. (review refers to Migrants AND What is War?)
What is War? holds the answers to many questions regarding the origins, reasons and consequences of war. It takes what could be a frightening and worrying topic for children and clearly and calmly expands and unpicks the different questions they are most likely to have. Throughout the book, there is a liberal use of stylish images to engage and appeal to the reader - with a black, white and red colour scheme for the text, the effect is bold, modern and fresh. ...It's a very powerful book - so interesting and informative, with time also taken to provide an excellent glossary, and written with each word carefully considered to give the reader a true understanding of all that they read.
Irish pupils have a lot of questions about war these days. Altarriba takes on the daunting task of addressing not just technical issues like borders and treaties, but also broader concepts like power and the ‘Just War’, covering the history of war in an audacious two page spread. The result is a dense, informative and engaging book that is unflinchingly honest about human nature. The graphic illustrations are bold and eye-catching, while the case studies of Ukraine and Syria are fascinating, if necessarily simplified.
What Is War? which is equally well-designed and illustrated. Altarriba’s approach is non-partisan and he explains that conflict between two clashing viewpoints, if unresolved through diplomacy or politics, may lead to violence and war. ... The author covers the topic thoroughly yet succinctly, posing questions and answering them, progressing logically from one explanation to the next, with just the right amount of detail for older KS2 readers.
