Gr 3-6 Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a child soldier at age five, Chikwanine tells his painful yet ultimately uplifting story with help from coauthor Humphreys and artist Davila. Though there was unrest in his country, Michel lived a happy, carefree existence with his parents and sisters—until one day after school he was abducted by soldiers. He lived in a state of terror and exhaustion while he underwent training, until he was able to escape and return to his family. However, more trauma lay ahead. Chikwanine, Humphreys, and Davila handle this difficult subject sensitively; readers are informed that "these events did not occur out of the blue and won't suddenly happen to you." The authors gloss over some details to keep the story age appropriate, but they do acknowledge some difficult truths. Chikwanine's narration is matter of fact but never didactic, emphasizing less the gruesome details and more young Michel's emotional response and attempts to make sense of the world around him. Earthy hued and gentle, the images make a potentially disturbing topic accessible. Davila foregoes blood and gore for more delicate, effective ways of depicting fear and danger, such as using darker hues, extreme close-ups, and dramatic angles. Several pages of back matter provide more information on Chikwanine's life, child soldiers in general, and resources for those who want to get involved combating this problem. VERDICT An enlightening, accessible, and, above all, child-friendly introduction to the issue.— Mahnaz Dar , School Library Journal

Chikwanine describes his harrowing real-life experiences as an extremely young child soldier in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 1993, rebel soldiers kidnapped five-year-old Michel and some older classmates and forced them to train as soldiers. In order to make Michel think he could never go home, they drugged and blindfolded him and, putting a rifle in his hands, made him shoot d kill s best friend. Even after he escaped and found his way home, danger threatened Michel's family for years. While his experiences were horrible and violent, Davila's subdued, approachable art shows only enough to suggest to readers what's going on. The wide, haunted eyes of the boys will stay with the reader long after finishing the book. The narration includes enough history of the Congo to give context to the personal story, while the back matter provides more information about child soldiers. The book also includes information on how young people can learn more and take action to prevent organizations from using child soldiers.