When Spring Comes to the DMZ

  When Spring Comes to the DMZ by Uk-Bae-Lee

     When Spring comes to the DMZ life is renewed Grandfather climbs the tall stairs to the observation deck and looks out over the land to his homeland. He does the same in summer, autumn and winter. As he looks across the space littered with blown out bomb casings, helmets and military vehicles he wishes for the chance to be with the family he is separated from.

    We have to look carefully, though, to notice the detrius of war. How ironic that this stretch of land that is impossibly dangerous to the Korean people has been reclaimed by the plants and animals as the safest place to be. No one goes there so dandelions grow between the holes in helmets. Animals nest in rusted blown out trains, seals swim past warships to enter the bay, birds fly over the razor wire barriers with no fear because no one goes there.

    But Grandfather and his grandson make the trip to the observation deck each season and looks across, past the peace and toward his family in another place. He can only hope that someday the barriers will come down and he will be reunited because this is his country and he remembers.

    This is a gorgeous picturebook that gently tells the story of the separation of North and South Korea without really getting into the politics. Instead we focus on the hope and possibilities of a new future. The discussion points in this beautiful book are limitless. I can well imagine sharing this with a classroom and having the children wonder why the obvious isn’t already happening.