The Day War Came

Written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb (Walker books)

Age 6-9

In a world where war is always on the news, this is a powerful and necessary picture book – the journey of a child forced to become a refugee when war destroys everything she has ever known.

Imagine if, on an ordinary day, war came. Imagine it turned your town to rubble. Imagine going on a long and difficult journey – all alone. Imagine finding no welcome at the end of it. Then imagine a child who gives you something small but very, very precious…

When the government refused to allow 3000 child refugees to enter the UK in 2016, Nicola Davies was so angry she wrote a poem. It started a campaign for which artists contributed drawings of chairs, symbolising a seat in a classroom, education, kindness, the hope of a future.

The poem has become this book, which is a good talking point to discuss war and the ways in which we can help the innocent children, who are the ultimate victims. While war is violent, the book manages to cover this violence without scaring children. There are no graphic details but you are left understanding the bleak after-effects and the ramifications that last long after the battles are over. The gravity of the topic is sensitively balanced with the innocent viewpoint of a child.

A sensitive and moving book that stays with you. Best read with a parent to discuss the topic of war.

Meet the author

Nicola Davies is an award-winning author, whose many books for children include The Promise, King of the Sky, A First Book of Nature, A First Book of Animals, Tiny: The Invisible World of Microbes, Lots: The Diversity of Life on Earth, Ice Bear, Big Blue Whale, Dolphin Baby, Bat Loves the Night, Just Ducks!, Animals Behaving Badly and the Heroes of the Wild series. Nicola graduated in zoology, studied whales and bats and then worked for the BBC Natural History Unit. She makes regular visits to schools and festivals, and writes interesting and thoughtful blog posts on her website.

Meet the illustrator

Beautifully illustrated by one of my favourite authors and illustrators, Rebecca Cobb, who has illustrated works by authors including Julia Donaldson, Richard Curtis, and Helen Dunmore. Her books include The Paper Dolls, Aunt Amelia, Missing Mummy and Lunchtime, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Picture Books. She has been shortlisted for the prestigious CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal three times.

In the beginning, the girl lives a happy life with her family, much like yours or mine.