The Composition

Winner of the UNESCO Tolerance Awarda and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and an Americas Award Commended Title

Life is simple for Pedro — he goes to school, does his homework and, most importantly, plays soccer. But when the soldiers come and take his friend Daniel’s father away, things suddenly become much more complicated.

Why, for instance, do Pedro’s parents secretly listen to the radio every evening after dinner? And why does the government want Pedro and his classmates to write compositions about what their parents do in the evening?

Humorous, serious and intensely human, this powerful picture book by Chilean writer Antonio Skarmeta presents a situation all too familiar to children around the world. And for children it provides food for thought about freedom, moral choices and personal responsibility.