The book “War” depicts an ugly divorce seen through the eyes of a sensitive child. War is cruel for everyone who experiences it up close. Ida knows war from pictures in newspapers, from television she knows the sounds of gunfire and falling bombs. Fortunately, Ida lives in a country where there is no war, where even wasps are not dangerous. But when war comes closer, when dad and mom start fighting, Ida’s world transforms into a battlefield where completely new rules apply. War is chaotic, exhausting, and insidiously consumes everything around. Norwegian writer Gro Dahle takes children seriously and has the ability to see the world from their perspective. Her poetic language contrasts with the naive yet unforgiving illustrations by Kaii Dahle Nyhus. Can war be driven out of the body it has settled in? And can all those marked by war feel good again? As readers, we are increasingly drawn into the heroine’s feelings about war; until our stomach aches for it. The language is almost lyrical metaphors related to war are heavily utilized: refugees, spies, soldiers, barbed wire, burned cities, etc. The illustrations are very engaging and expressive, leaving the reader in no doubt about how Ida experiences the war between her parents. The text and illustrations…