Flowers From Mariko

By Rick Noguchi, Deneen Jenks, Michelle Reiko Kumata
Paperback: $11.95

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.

Description

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.

About the Creators

Rick Noguchi

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

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

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.

Awards

  • Beatty Award

    California Library Association

  • CCBC Choices

    Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

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

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620143155
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2013
  • Trim Size 10.75 × 9 in
  • Weight 0.125 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781584300328
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2013
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.875 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / People & Places / United States / Asian American
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Historical / United States / 20th Century
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Family / Parents
  • Themes Asian / Asian American / AAPI, Discrimination, Earth / Sun / Moon System, Empathy / Compassion, Environment / Nature, Families, Fathers, Fiction, History & Civics, Optimism / Enthusiasm, Overcoming Obstacles, Respect / Citizenship, Sharing & Giving, United States History, War, World War II
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 9
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 4
  • Guided Reading P
  • ATOS Book Level 4.3
  • DRA 38
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 4
  • Reading Level 3
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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