Planting Sunshine, written by Andree Poulin and illustrated by Enzo. Groundwood Books, 2026. $19.99 ages 10 and up

"Theo falls silent. 
He realizes 
there's nothing
            he can do 
              to stop the war. 

Powerlessness 
towers over him 
            a tall wall 
               of bricks
blocking every path forward. 

He realizes 
          the hardest part
              is knowing 
there's nothing 
         you can do."
           

 "Do wars begin because too many people can’t say ‘I’m sorry?"

For kids who can watch what is going on around the world on their television sets, there is a rising concern for what is happening to others. Theo knows that the likelihood of a war where he lives is minimal; the toll wars are taking around the world make no sense to him. He cannot understand the root cause for the many deaths and the total devastation in those countries. 

He asks his father why there are wars; he can give no satisfactory answer to Theo's question. It doesn't seem to make a difference to his friends at school. Mrs. Lena his neighbor shares his worries as war rages in her homeland. The longer the war goes on, the more Theo feels anger and great sadness. Meeting Lily and seeing what she is doing to protest war gives him some peace. This is such an honest look at one very sensitive young man who has to finally come to terms with the fact that he can do nothing to stop any war.; no one he knows can do that. 

A hopeful ending for Theo has him working with his dad and Lily to sell Mrs. Lena's delicious perogies to raise funds for the survivors. This small difference helps to assuage his anxiety. This novel in verse is so eloquent in its storytelling, giving Theo a voice when the reality of war makes no sense to him. The writing shows middle grade readers how war is hurting so many, due only to hate and horror. Illustrations by Enzo are compelling in their honesty as well, showing war in reality as well as the war fought in Theo's imagination. 

"I know these sunflowers
these marked stones
these perogies 
        won't silence the cannons. 
               But they're a way 
                       a small way 
               to start building 
                            peace,"
     

Valuable back matter discusses war, its causes and the rules not followed, how it affects children, and offers thoughts on how to build peace.