What Happened on Thursday? A Nigerian Civil War Story
From Thursday, July 6, 1967, to Thursday, January 15, 1970, Nigeria was in a civil war. Narrated by a young girl, this story shows how war affects the innocent. Early in the story, we see her normal life, eating breakfast with her family and going to school to learn about how plants grow. As war arrives, the family flees, first by car and then on foot, eventually living in a refugee camp. When the war ends, they return to where their home used to be and try to start a normal life again.
The language is often more poetic than descriptive but matches well with the evocative, colorful, full-page illustrations. The images do an excellent job of showing the noise, damage, and fear of war without being too graphic for children. Endnotes offer more information about the war and about this story’s Nigerian author. Ages 7-9.
