Peace Bell

A few years ago The Peace Bell, written by Duluth author Margi Preus, was published.  For some reason, I never managed to get ahold of a copy and read it to my kidlets.  However, when I was shopping at the library used book sale a couple of weeks ago I stumbled across an autographed copy and snatched it right up.  After reading it to The Banana one night and discovering that it’s really a story wrapped up in WWII about how a bell links Duluth with its sister city in Japan, a bell that we had come across at a park but never really paid a great deal of attention to, plans were made to examine the peace bell more closely.  The biggest kidlets were in North Dakota. On a humid and overcast Saturday afternoon, The Banana convinced us to brave the mosquitos (out in full force that day) and go see the bell.  She rang the bell, which made a wonderful Kadoon sound just like the book described.

We also wandered around the beautiful gardens and climbed up the stone tower.  We basked on a bench on the overlook watching all the business in the harbor below.

The book was good.  It was great to experience the bell in light of the story, but what really surprised me was that after going there, Mr. TOF picked the book out for reading time all on his own, and instantly recognized the bell in the illustration in the book and talked and talked about how he had been there and heard the Kadoon himself.  I was impressed that he had made the connection, and delighted to hear him tell me all about it with his voice.  He talks more and more every day.