Based on an incident that actually occurred when Japanese invaders entered Rangoon, the story of a defiant act that made the oppressors look foolish indeed. A quietly powerful book grounded in courage and individuality.

Power to the people! A must-read for every socially conscious little tyke. ( )

Here is a story of about an oppressive General coming into a village in Asia with visions of being a dictator. As he begins tearing down buildings and demanding obedience from the villagers, a small thong is thrown at him from a school window. The General tries to find out who threw the thong, but as an act of quiet rebellion all the villagers take off their thong so the General can't see who has one missing. In this story the General leave in a huff and the villagers celebrate their win. At the back of this book there is the statement "The heart of this story is true. It happened in 1990 at a school in Rangoon." As adults we know that the reprecussions and violence that must have followed this act of defiance were greater than what the picture book tells us. However the message of freedom, cival rights and the strength to stand up against opression is very clear.
Review by: Fiona