Soldiers Fought With Pillows?

(Book recommendation by Eric Unger, Manitoba)

The little girl who wondered aloud where the island was on which people fought the wars now has three children of her own. And this year, for Christmas, she gave me a very special gift: the book ‘What If Soldiers Fought With Pillows?’ by Heather Camlot and illustrated by Serge Bloch.

This book is a collection of over a dozen childlike, but not childish, questions, each one linked to a very short but potent ‘true story of courage and determination.’ Some of these stories would be familiar to a well-informed public and others would be completely new, providing new windows for a mind searching for ideas on peace. I highly recommend it to readers interested in making a difference for a more peaceful planet.

Here are the questions asked:
What if soldiers fought with pillows instead of pistols?
What if fighter pilots dropped seeds instead of bombs?
What if battlegrounds were soccer fields and spectators cheered for every team?
What if Navy SEALS balanced balls on their noses or played horns?
What if battle lines were drawn with paintbrushes and all the colors of the rainbow?
What if everybody showed up to a political party with their dancing shoes on?
What if the rules of war were the same as the rules at school?
What if innocent civilians could be airlifted by music?
What if a theater of war had costumes and musical numbers?
What if rocket launchers fired ping-pong balls instead of ballistic missiles?
What if the realities of war were virtual realities?
What if the balance of power was weighed on a teeter-totter?
What if an air strike was a cry for peace carried by the wind?
What if hand-to-hand combat happened only in boxing rings?
What if words of war became a war of words?
What if we just asked more questions?
What if you could change the world?
What if to make the world you want . . . you must first imagine what it could be?

** Note: There are more book recommendations in the “blog”.