Two youngsters build a makeshift, backyard hideaway "in case there's a nuclear war." Finding them in it, their mother explains different ways grown-ups are working to make the world safe for children. Vigna's easy-to-read first person narrative is direct in style, honest in approach and constructive in factual presentation. An impending summer storm becomes a visual parallel to action and dialogue concerning the nuclear threat. A picnic becomes a means to express feelings. This ordinary looking little picture book illustrated with sketchy pen and ink drawings and watercolor washes is an extraordinary tool for age-appropriate understanding about response and responsibility.

When a mother discovers her small daughter and son have built a shelter to protect themselves from nuclear attact, she explains that grownups all over the world are working hard to make the world safe for children to grow up in.