Hiroshima No Pika

Hiroshima No Pika is a story about the catastrophic atomic bomb that devastated the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. This book is about a young girl named Mii and her family on the day the bomb was dropped, and how she, her mother and her father fled to try and find safety. Hiroshima No Pika is accompanied by harrowing illustrations that depict the tragedy with colors of glowing embers and heavy smoke. It tells of the horrifying outcome of that day, including the deaths of many children, animals and family members and how the entire city was engulfed in flames; the remains of the city were reduced to a burned wasteland. This book also speaks about the second atomic bomb that was dropped on the nearby city of Nagasaki just three days after the first bomb was dropped. Thousands died in these tragedies, and the land and those surrounding it were contaminated by radiation that continued to cause deaths and illnesses for years after the explosions.

I thought this book was really incredible, although very, very sad. It explains in vivid detail the medical trauma that survivors of the attack suffered from radiation exposure and how many of them died from the exposure some time later. It tells how the young girl Mii never grew up after the bomb due to the "flash from the bomb"; her body never grew into adult size. Her father initially survived the burns from the attack, but eventually died from radiation exposure as well. Although this is a devastating story, it is a very important part of Japan's and the United State's history. It would be a great tool to use in a history lesson to introduce the events of World War II that led up to the dropping of these bombs. Students will acquire knowledge about the impact and damage of atomic weapons, and learn about the tragic results of them too. Students could even participate in a debate that discusses the arguments for and against the US using bombs on other nations.

Maruki, T. (1980). Hiroshima no pika. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.