Planting Sunshine
In Andrée Poulin’s haunting, empathetic novel-in-verse Planting Sunshine, a boy tries to understand war from the safety of his home.
Theo’s story opens on an ordinary afternoon, when he’s playing basketball with his father. But then “war arrives in the living room” through their television. Horrified by the violence he sees, Theo becomes consumed with questions that his father cannot answer, like “Do wars begin because too many people can’t say ‘I’m sorry?’” His search for understanding leads him to his neighbor, Mrs. Lena, a refugee from a war-torn country, and Lily, a teenage artist who paints doves of peace on brick walls. Through their guidance, he begins to transform his despair into action, planting sunflower seeds, painting symbols of peace, and finding hope in human connections.
Told in spare, lyrical verse, each page reads like a breath—some short and sharp with anguish, others calm and reflective. This cadence mirrors Theo’s shifting emotions and allows space for both sorrow and hope. Images of bombs, sunflowers, red fogs, and white doves complement the storytelling, their watercolor textures and muted tones evoking tenderness amid trauma and grounding the abstract in human feelings. Illustrations of bloodied toys and stones bearing children’s names, for example, mark war’s cost and the loss of innocence.
The book’s back matter includes an engaging educational component that expands on its themes, explaining the Geneva Conventions, the impact of war on children, and the difference between “negative” and “positive” peace. This thoughtful addition invites reflection and dialogue, providing tools to understand conflict and envision peace beyond Theo’s story.
A tender, luminous novel about the realities of war, Planting Sunshine shows how small acts, including questions, tears, art, and seeds, can help to reclaim power and nurture compassion.
Reviewed by
Brooke Shannon
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
