Yamasaki,
Katie. 2013. FISH FOR JIMMY: INSPRIED BY ONE FAMILY’S EXPERIENCE IN A JAPANESE
INTERNMENT CAMP. Ill. by Katie Yamasaki. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823423750
[Suggested Grade Levels 1-4]
REVIEW
Jimmy and Taro are Japanese-American brothers, born to
parents who emigrated from Japan prior to World War II. They enjoyed their
lives of swimming in the ocean off the California coast and working in their
parents’ vegetable market. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jimmy, Taro, and
their mother are forced into an internment camp while the father went to
prison. Jimmy becomes horribly depressed and refuses to eat. Taro, his brother,
begins sneaking out of the camp to catch the fish Jimmy so very much loves in
order to create some sense of normalcy in Jimmy's life, as well as to save
Jimmy’s health.
In an author’s note, Yamasaki explains details from Fish for
Jimmy are based on a true story, although the story itself is fiction. Yamasaki
shares photographs of her great-grandfather, on whom this story is based, as
well as the internment camp where the great-grandfather was located. The
acrylic-on-canvas illustrations are emotional and tell a story far beyond what
words can convey. Most pages contain
surrealistic elements in addition to the standard illustrations to enhance what
is occurring internally.
CONNECTIONS
Fish for Jimmy lends itself to study about internment camps,
the Japanese-American experience during World War II, and using art to convey
emotion and to enhance text.
RELATED
BOOKS
Other books for children about the Japanese internment camp
experience during World War II:
Bunting, Eve. SO FAR FROM THE SEA. ISBN 9780547237527
Mochizuki, Ken. BASEBALL SAVED US. ISBN
9781880000199
By
Jennifer E. Richey
No comments:
Post a Comment