YUKIE'S ISLAND

A picture book based on Yukie Kimura’s experiences growing up in World War II–era Japan.

Yukie lives with her family on an island where her father is the lighthouse keeper. She and her brother have adventures around the island as they look for sea gull eggs; her sister prefers to read. One day, Yukie sees a giant ship with military personnel onboard. Up to that point, the war had felt far away. Suddenly, her world shifts as the military takes over the town, planes fly overhead, and bombs drop. Yukie notices that some children do not return to school after the war, but as the book closes, her adventures with her brother resume as they jump across ice floes that have floated south from Russia. References to her father’s flute playing and the hidden meanings behind his intonation imply there is much that Yukie doesn’t understand, though she perceives the underlying threats and tension. Disappointingly sparse text is paired with equally oblique illustrations. Kōdo Kimura’s stiff and impersonal style portrays flat landscapes and children with adult, even elderly faces. Repetitive, unoriginal perspectives lack dramatic emotion, creating distance between readers and the story. Older children can read the in-depth backmatter for historical context; younger readers will need guidance from well-informed grown-ups. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A thin tale with far richer backmatter.