One line from this book says it all.... "Our leaders need to have a time-out!" This is a wonderful book, written by a nearly three-year old child and nursed into being by her mother. The message is simple, war is not a helpful way to resolve conflict.

24 Pages - Paperback - Illustrated
Ages 2 and up

by Bailey and Pam Griscom
Illustrated by Scot Halpin

From Reach And Teach

Like so many of our treasures, we discovered this one while at a peace and social justice gathering. "Would you like to see a book written by one of my grandchildren?" I was asked. Bailey Griscom had begun writing when she was just two. Watching her parents as they read the newspaper and listened to the news on the radio about the Gulf War, Bailey wanted to understand what was going on and why her parents were so sad. As with most youngsters, she kept asking similar questions often enough that her mother thought it would be a good idea to capture these conversations and thus the idea for this book was born.

From the Back Cover

It is not a new concept that when children decide how to behave with each other they are often driven by selfishness or fear. Parents and teachers commonly try to help their little ones learn to resolve these emotions in a fair and productive manner. But why does the learning so often focus only on household or classroom issues?

The parallel between sharing a toy and sharing the world is so clear when you stop to think of it. Maybe if our toddlers grow up with the assumption that both personal and global sharing are equally reasonable and expected of them, we will have a chance for a more peaceful future.

About the Author

Bailey Griscom

Bailey wrote Why Can't I be the Leader? as a project with her mother when she was not quite three years old. The book addresses how a young child encounters news of conflict and war, and asks the question why can't adults solve their problems the same way kids in a sandbox are expected to?

Bailey is now in her senior year at Menlo Atherton High School in California, and looking forward to college, where she hopes to pursue creative writing and biology.

About the Illustrator

T. Scot Halpin is an artist with a mission... He wants his work to go out into the world and influence people for the good. With a philosopher's heart he connects emotions with visuals. His thirty-year career includes fine art and teaching degrees as well as book and magazine llustration. Originally from the Iowa heartlands, he currently lives and works in Indiana with his wife and son.