What is War?

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.

-- Stephen Connor * Just Imagine *

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?)

* Wrd About Books magazine *

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.

-- Jennifer Caddick, teacher * Reading Zone *

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.

* Reading Matters - Children's Books Ireland *

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.

-- Jill Bennett * Red Reading H