This book is set in a village in Afghanistan. Yamo and Haroon are the two boys living with their families. When the war breaks, Haroon goes to the army and Yamo stays with his parents and helps his father to sell fruits in the bazaar. The story shows how Yamo and his father spent a day in the bazaar to give a glimpse of life in Afghanistan before the war. In the end, the village is destroyed as war goes everywhere.
The writer clearly wanted to raise awareness for the war in Afghanistan and how it destroys the land and the lives of the innocent people. I think he achieved this mission. I liked that it didn't show any drama for kids. I also liked the drawings, very colorful and cute.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully illustrated children's book about the middle east. There is a lot of love in this little book.

Even after homeschooling for over eighteen years, I can say I've not seen a lot of picture books about Afghanistan. I was delighted to be able to read and review this title.

The Most Beautiful Village in the World (by Yukata Kobayashi) tells the simple story of the quaint village Paghman, Afghanistan. Colorful, charming illustrations walk the reader alongside Yamo, a young boy, and his father as they go to market. We see the market at its livliest, full of commerce, produce, all wrapped in a glorious culture. Everything seems to be just as calm as every other ordinary day. The illustrations have enlightened UA and heightened our journey through the area from village to market and back again.

Until the. last. three. lines.

*spoiler below*

The war destroys the village but we only know this from the brief text. There are no illustrations for this, nothing for the reader to draw on as to what is the aftermath. After the ending there is a further explanation, Kobayashi's note of sorts, telling a bit more about being at a similar village during the war.

This startling ending is a sharp contrast to the beauty contained throughout the rest of the book. This may be quite jarring for young children or may be just the spark needed to open a heartfelt and thoughtful conversation with a child. This is definitely something to consider, either way, before reading this book aloud.

War is a very real thing which Yutaka Kobayashi attempts to bring to children in a gentle manner, simple to understand. My hope is that discussion ensues after reading this tale.

Well, this proved to be an unusual find, and no mistake. The book – a very pleasingly illustrated tome, with full-colour pictures, sometimes with just a one-sentence caption and elsewhere a full page of script – rarely seems to even be about a village. The story concerns a young farmer's son going to the market town to sell cherries and other fruits for the first time. But then it definitely ends up being about the village, in a way I'll leave you to discover. And then you find it was first written in 1995, and realise how little would have changed in the time since. It's a book that, with that early full chunk of text, and the whole core idea, will need to be shared with an adult, but I think the 5-7 age bracket it's intended for seems a good match. It's a hard volume to rate by stars, but I'll give it 4 as the least it deserves – I can sense this one beginning to stick in my mind, however, and as a result it might earn more.

The Most Beautiful Village in the World is dedicated to the children of Afghanistan; the author modeled the fictional village of Paghman on a peaceful, welcoming village he had the honor to visit that was later destroyed during the civil war.

As we are introduced to the village of Paghman, we get a snapshot of habits of the villagers throughout a year before narrowing in on one family. We learn Yamo's older brother is no longer home with his family, as he is a soldier fighting in the civil war. Yamo is shouldering more responsibility at home. One big step is going with his father to market to sell the fruit from their farm. Yamo learns growing up isn't always glamorous; the road to market is long, and learning to sell fruit on his own is daunting.

While the illustrations portray villages, homes, and markets different from what American children may be familiar with, it will give them a visual to what life other countries can look like. Children can make comparisons to situations in their own lives that mirror Yamo's -- as Yamo sells fruit on his own in a large city, perhaps children will remember when their parents sent them to a store alone for the first time. Or if they've had a family member serve in the armed forces, they'll resonate with the concern Harood's family has for him in his absence.

It's no secret that there are civil wars ravaging communities around the world, destroying all that was there and leaving rubble behind. However, I'm trying to surmise the best audience for this book. There is an abrupt ending to the story, one that not every child would be ready to be exposed to. I would have no hesitation recommending this title until the last page, and while I know the reality of war and destruction is present for far too many, this book could force the conversations at a young age.

I believe picture books can have relevance for various ages; I can see the power of this book being used in a middle-school classroom, for instance, as a complement to a Social Studies unit to bring the reality of war home.

A beautifully illustrated and moving books about the life in a village in Afghanistan.
The book is very useful for helping children to understand what the war is and the grown-up as it relates to current events.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Museyon Inc and Netgalley for this ARC

This is a beautiful picture book about a village where fruit is grown, and the little boy who goes with is father to sell it. It is a snapshot of life in the village as well as in the larger city, and the war, always the war that looms over it all.

The boy sells the carries and other fruits, and they earn enough to buy a lamb. They look forward to the spring, but for the village, spring never comes, and it is destroyed.

Because, that is how it is in a war zone. How it is in Afganistan. It is unusual to have a sad ending to a children's picture book. There is so much color in this, and it is so beautiful, and to be told it is all destroyed, makes you stop in your tracks.

<img src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-16-at-12.41.53-PM.png" alt="Most beautiful village" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-747" />

<img src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-16-at-12.37.47-PM.png" alt="Most beatuiful village" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-748" />

It is a good way to teach children about the consequences of war, and the sadness, and the beautify of the little village.

#Afghanistan #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.