Between the Walls

Author Tuula Pere and illustrator Andrea Alemanno’s Between the Walls is a tale of two formerly friendly fishing towns estranged by a quarrel for the harbor space. As tensions rise due to boat mishaps, disputes for fishing grounds, and political divergence, the mayors decide to build two walls that leave only the harbor in a no-man’s-land strip between them. The people of the towns were devastated but had to do what the mayors wanted. The children, however, found ways to keep in touch with friends on the other side with kites, and paper plains to pass messages. When one day a kindhearted and resourceful stranger appeared on their shores. When both town mayors refused the stranger a home behind their walls, the stranger, Leo, decided to move into No-mans-land. From his small plot of land, he slowly brought change upon the towns. The first thing that caught my attention in this captivating children’s book was the art. The illustrations done by Andrea Alemanno are beautifully drawn by hand and the color palettes change with the mood of the story, making for great ambiance and visual transitions. The plot is built around a classic story setting of two cities divided. The town mayors that made the choices to divide the land hold onto their beliefs, while the towns’ children look for a way to make peace and change their world. The main character, Leo, a nonchalant boy who appears when the towns need guidance and sets sail on his small boat for places unknown when the dispute is solved, is a borderline mystic figure who leaves the reader wondering about where he could possibly have come from and wishing there was more to know about him. Between the Walls is a thought-provoking picture book that will open up discussion with children about problem-solving and the building of communities. With so many hostilities in the world over resources and land borders, this children’s story is a great way for teachers and adults to explain world events in an age-appropriate manner.