Overview

One girl's love and determination lift the spirits of her family after they are finally allowed to leave the internment camp they were placed in during WWII. World War II is over and Mariko and her family are finally allowed to leave the camp. But the transition back into society isn't easy. Mariko's father longs to restart his gardening business, but his truck has been stolen. The family moves to a trailer park, where Mariko sees her parents are worried and their spirits are low. She has an idea to create happiness for her family by bringing gardening back into their lives. Rick Noguchi and Deneen Jenks have written a moving story of how one girl's love and determination lift the spirits of her family. With affecting images of life after the Camps, Michelle Reiko Kumata captures an unforgettable story of hope, love, and perseverance, and plants it in readers' hearts.

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9781620143155

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Reviews

[A]ffecting tale with an eerily timely theme...concluding the story on a hopeful note. -- Publishers Weekly A beautifully told story about healing from the wounds of war. -- Fodder Young Mariko describes the difficult transition she and her family endure from Japanese internment camp back to society. The events are explained simply, but they are embedded with sadness, warmth, and information regarding the Resettlement Years for Japanese-Americans. Additional historical facts are provided in the author's note at the end of the book. The striking, urbane illustrations have the feel of two-dimensional murals but are complemented by realistic textile patterns and shadowing effects. There is a great deal readers can absorb, ponder, and discuss with peers. -- Bayviews, Association of Children's Librarians This is the story of a Japanese-American girl whose family has suffered through three years of internment at a desolate relocation center during World War II. When her father returns to California, he finds that his truck has been sold and that their former landlord has disappeared with the proceeds. This sad event, along with the loss of most of their other possessions, means that Mariko's father cannot immediately resume his gardening business. The family settles into a bleak trailer park established for returning internees. Bit by bit they are able to rebuild their lives. The child's father finds some discarded gardening equipment that he can fix and Mariko starts a flower garden that comes to symbolize their rebirth. An author's note provides some brief background that allows children to put the story in context. -- School Library Journal Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Parents' Choice Noteworthy Product, Parents' Choice Foundation Beatty Award, California Library Association

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Beatty Award, California Library Association Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Parents' Choice Noteworthy Product, Parents' Choice Foundation

Author Information

Rick Noguchi and his wife, Deneen Jenks, are a husband and wife team who live in Culver City, California. Noguchi was formerly an administrator at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles and is currently a Program Manager, at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. Flowers from Mariko is their first children's book. Deneen Jenks and her husband, Rick Noguchi, are a husband and wife team who live in Culver City, California. Flowers from Mariko is their first children's book. Michelle Reiko Kumata was a contributing artist to Lee & Low's America: A Book of Opposites/Un libro de contrarios. She earned a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and has been a staff graphic artist for the Seattle Times since 1995. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

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