Our Voices, Together

A silence can be broken
by the might of one small word.
Our voices are our power ...
and together we'll be heard.

Our Voices, Together speaks to the power we all have to stand up against war, violence, and inequity. Written in rhyme and illustrated thoughtfully, this picture book acknowledges the realities of children in conflict zones and suggests tangible steps that we can take to speak up.

Thought-provoking yet hopeful, Our Voices, Together encourages empathy and critical thinking, and shows children how they can be activists and allies in promoting justice and peace. This book is a call to action for children aged 4 to 9 years who wish to make a difference in the world.

Realistic but Hopeful: The picture book addresses the impact of war and conflict on children all around the world. Globally, one in six children live in a conflict zone and many more live in countries that are affected by conflict. With social media and the news, children in non-conflict zones are exposed to these realities and may feel helpless. This book demonstrates the power of speaking up against cruelty and injustice, individually and collectively, and encourages them to use it to make a difference.

Allyship and Activism: The text and illustrations describe tangible steps that children can take as allies and activists, from educating themselves and others to participating in collective action and protests. With notes from both the creators, this book is designed to spark meaningful conversations about the power of activism.

Accessible Text and Visual Narrative: The text is written in an easy-to-read rhyme and the visual narrative treads between children in conflict zones and their allies. The visual story follows a child who seeks to learn more about the conflict she sees on the news and how she can help. As the story progresses, she finds like-minded friends and the group of allies grow, reminding us of the power and hope of activism.

Creator Inspiration: Author Inda Ahmad Zahri embodies the text in her work to speak up, and raise awareness and funds to support those in Palestine. She wrote the text for her own children in response to the atrocities unfolding in Palestine. She wanted to create a text to navigate these conversations with children like hers and to offer hope through simple yet meaningful actions that they could take. Illustrator Syd Fini is a Brooklyn-based artist who was born in Iran during the Iran–Iraq war. His love for illustration stems from a childhood spent indoors drawing pictures from movies and animations that he liked.

Perfect for:

• Young readers interested in activism and instigating change.
• Parents, caregivers, and educators needing a tool to navigate conversations with children about war and international conflict, and what they can do to instigate meaningful conversations and change.
• Readers directly and indirectly affected by war and conflict.