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Hope For Haiti by Jesse Joshua Watson

Review by Chris Singer

About the author:

Jesse Joshua Watson is an award winning, NY Times Bestselling illustrator and author whose work includes Hope for Haiti, Chess Rumble, and the Hank Zipzer series.

Whether hammocking in Brazil, exploring in Hong Kong, dodging taxis in Russia, studying art in Europe, dancing in Jamaica, or raising kids in Port Townsend, Washington, Jesse connects with people. He loves both the differences and the similarities that are so colorfully displayed across our diverse world. Jesse’s passion and appreciation of people is voiced through his brush and on his canvas.

About the book:

The earth shook, and his whole neighborhood was gone. Now he and his mother are living in the soccer stadium, in a shelter made of tin and bedsheets, waiting in line for food and water. But even with so much sorrow all around, a soccer ball inspires a small but powerful link between a heartbroken country’s past and its hopes for the future. Jesse Joshua Watson has created an inspiring testament to the strength of the Haitian people and the promise of children.

My take on the book:

For me, I have no doubts as to why soccer is called ‘the beautiful game’. Not only is it a game which is simply beautiful to watch but, because it is the most popular game in the world and such an integral part of so many peoples lives, it often can be used as a metaphor for life.

I’ve experienced this in action. While visiting for several weeks in a rural village in Uganda, I would get approached and greeted on a pretty regular basis because I would often wear soccer jerseys. I would get asked “Which football team do you support?” or “Are you a supporter of Arsenal (or Manchester United or some other English Premier League team)?’ If I had a soccer ball with me, I drew even more attention and more people who almost immediately became friends. Just because of a game. It’s powerful when you really think about it.

In Jesse Joshua Watson’s book, soccer becomes an even bigger metaphor. In the wake of such a horrible disaster, soccer brings some normalcy back for the children. Soccer is a game they most likely played everyday. Even amongst their immense sadness, the power of play and of playing soccer can bring back memories of good times. The young boy in the story even dreams of playing for his beloved Haiti and of scoring a winning goal.

This is a book which can and should be used in schools to teach children not only about Haiti, but also about hope in the midsts of great and seemingly insurmountable adversity. Young readers will certainly be inspired by the boy in the story and a creative teacher will be able to find a host of interesting activities that can be tied in with this book. Teachers can also pair it with another fantastic book about the earthquake in Haiti: Eight Days (A Story of Haiti).

Hope for Haiti is a beautifully written and illust

Do something good before jetting off this weekend – check out this beautifully-produced video from Pearson’s We Give Books and On My Mind Foundation. These two organizations paired up on a trip to Haiti to help schools affected by the earthquake disaster last year, and address the overwhelming illiteracy rate in that area. Now, We Give Books is providing 1,000 books to kids in Haiti, and you can find out more and help here.

The video features Jesse Joshua Watson, author/illustrator of the Putnam book Hope For Haiti, one of my favorite picture books we’ve published recently.  Jesse’s artwork is brilliantly colored and perfectly suited to this uplifting story.  It goes well beyond soccer and speaks straight to the heart of Haiti’s youngest generation.  A must read – and I’m so glad that children in Haiti were able to experience it in their own language!