Gleam and Glow (Patricia Crain de Galarce

BUNTING’S GLEAM AND GLOW, A HOPEFUL STORY FOR DIFFICULT TIMES By: Patricia Crain de Galarce

All over the world are families torn apart by war and conflict. Currently, our hearts are with the people suffering in the Ukraine. We watch from afar as children and families leave behind their homes, books, and fish to escape war. This morning I was in a meeting listening to the needs of displaced children from amazing Ukrainian educators. My mind was racing with ideas of how I might share and create resources, but my heart was heavy. The translated stories of children, families, and teachers made the atrocities of war real. We often disconnect our minds and hearts to the evening news. We become complacent that the suffering of others is far away from our own reality. Children’s books allow for a window into the harsh reality of others that can open both our hearts and minds. I remembered and dug out a book from my children’s library. Eve Bunting wrote of war and refugees from a child’s perspective in the book Gleam and Glow. The book tells of a family’s journey through separation, trauma, and tragedy and their ability to find compassion and hope. The story brings the harsh reality of war right into our homes with such compassion that readers, of any age, will connect with their hearts and minds. As I read the story, rich with universal themes that humanizes the experience of war, I was able to release the tears I had been holding back. No one ever wins in war, especially the children! Gleam and Glow, however, shares messages of survival, hope, and love.