It’s hard enough for adults to comprehend the vast destruction wrought by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. For children, it can be simply impossible. They overhear adult conversations or see photographs in the newspaper or see snippets of coverage on TV, but it is too much for them to process.
There are a lot of internet resources available that can help children understand the science behind earthquakes and tsunamis, such as this wave simulator from PBS or this comprehensive website on earthquakes from the U.S. Geological Survey. (Thanks to Diane Flynn Keith’s excellent Clickschooling for these and other links.)
Children can also get a sense of the scale of the disaster in Japan from a remarkable series of before-and-after satellite photographs of areas struck by the tsunami.
But the best way for children to understand the significance of what has happened in Japan may be by reading -- or better yet, being read -- the fictional story of a single child whose life was transformed by a devastating tsunami: Jiya, a Japanese fisherman’s son whose family is swept away in the 1948 tale The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck.
With its close-up focus on one boy and the family who adopts him after he is orphaned, this short novel powerfully conveys the terror of the tsunami’s arrival and its harrowing human aftermath. Though Jiya’s loss is devastating, the way it is portrayed is not unduly frightening, and the book follows young Jiya as he grows to manhood and graceful acceptance of risk and death. With its focus on the power of love and the triumph of the life spirit over death, this beautifully written tale provides an excellent framework for discussing the disaster in Japan with your children.
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