Based on facts about her grandparents’ forced relocation to a War Relocation Camp in Idaho, Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s evocative picture book, calmly narrated by Sura Siu, acquaints viewers with this terrible stain on U.S. history. Following the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans from the West Coast were forcibly incarcerated in prison camps.
This title introduces the author’s grandparents, Tama and George, who met at the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. Tama’s love of books and reading led her to work in the prison library. George visited the library daily, bringing back stacks of books he checked out.
Slowly Tama and George grew close, fell in love, married, and had a son who was born in the camp. During this period in the story, softer violin music echoes the couple's love for one another. Yas Imamura’s gouache and watercolor illustrations, mainly in earth tones with some bright color accents, are slightly animated and sparkle on the screen.
A must-see concluding author’s note expounds on details about this “mostly true” story about Tokuda-Hall’s grandparents who were among 120,000 Japanese Americans forced to give up their jobs, homes, and possessions and robbed of their rights and dignity during this shameful era.
A lovely photo of her grandparents accompanies the important information that warns about continuing racism in the modern world. “The miracle is in us. . . as long as we believe in change, in beauty, in hope” is a quote taken directly from Tana’s journal, a gentle reminder that even in darkness there is light. Recommended for all children's library shelves.