THE FRIENDSHIP TRAIN: A True Story of Helping and Healing after World War II, by Debbie Levy, Boris Kulikov, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, June 3, 2025, Hardcover, $20.99 (ages 5-8)
The Friendship Train: A True Story of Helping and Healing after World War II, by Debbie Levy and Boris Kulikov, celebrates the kindness of strangers.
On one side of the ocean, a war had ended, leaving many in Europe without enough food.
On the other side of the ocean, Americans asked, How can we help?
The need was too great for any one person to fill-but what could people do if they joined together?
The answer was the Friendship Train, which ran from the West Coast to the East collecting good food for hungry bellies. Americans of all ages gave what they could. Especially children! They donated their allowances, sold newspapers, collected food from neighbors, loaded packages onto trucks and boxcars-all for strangers across the sea.
And in return, those strangers asked themselves How can we say “thank you”? Still recovering from the war, they didn’t have a lot to give, but they found a way-their own train full of ways-to express their gratitude. —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
The Friendship Train is a tender nonfiction picture book that follows a movement of kindness that swept across the United States following WWII.
The Friendship Train briefly touches on WWII:
“On one side of the ocean, children’s bellies growled.
A war had ended.
Fighting had destroyed farms. Winter was coming to Europe, and there was no time to grow food before the cold set in.
There was peace, but not enough to eat.”
After that, the book focuses on helping, making something good happen. In that, The Friendship Train is a hopeful look at healing following a major moment in history.
Author Debbie Levy’s writing is warm and conversational. She parses down a big story into something that’s not only interesting but accessible. Artist Boris Kulikov’s pencil, black tea and acrylic gouache illustrations give readers a sense of scale through stylized images that are full of movement.
An excellent author’s note provides additional context about the Friendship Train and WWII, along with more detail into the primary source research.
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