The Wall by: Eve Bunting and illustrated by: Ronald Himler

Ages: 4-8

A young boy and his father have come from far away to visit the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. They are there to find his grandfather’s name on the wall. While they are searching, they meet several visitors. They see flowers, letters, pictures, and flags that have been left by the wall. Will they find his grandfather’s name? Read The Wall to find out!

The Wall is a beautifully crafted children’s book about the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. I like that the story is told from a young boy’s point of view of his experience visiting the Memorial with his father. The beautiful watercolor illustrations go along with the text great. They are very detailed, and show the emotions that the characters are feeling. The text is a little longer in this book. It is descriptive and contains quite a bit of dialogue between the young boy and his father. At the end of the book, there is a short note about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I like that this is included after the story, because it gives readers information about the Memorial. This is a great book to teach children about the Vietnam War, and the many lives it affected. It can also be related to today, since we are currently in a war that has affected the lives of many. This book will deeply move the reader. The Wall would be a great book for both children and adults to read.