A boy and his father have come to the Vietnam War Memorial to look for the boy's grandfather's name among those who were killed in the war. They find his name surrounded, but far from lost, in the rows of print that "march side by side, like rows of soldiers." "I'm proud that your grandfather's name is on this wall," says the boy's father. The boy agrees, adding, "but I'd rather have my grandpa here." Before this powerful book is half finished, readers will be deeply moved. Bunting's understated prose captures the meaning of the memorial to the American people, especially to those who lost loved ones, without being maudlin or heavy-handed. Himler's gauzy watercolors are a perfect accompaniment: impressionistic enough for the characters to appear as every men. A sensitive and moving picture book, and a great discussion book as well.
位于华盛顿特区的越战纪念墙,上面刻着五万八千个士兵的名字,他们都是在越战中牺牲或失踪的。小男孩和爸爸从很远的地方到这里来,花了很长的时间在墙上寻找爷爷的名字,然后在一张纸上,用铅笔把名字拓下来,郑重地带回家。