MARCH 2023 - AudioFile
An important and often ignored part of American history is explained in this audiobook, narrated by June Angela. The Japanese American internment camps created during WWII were documented by several photographers, including Toyo Miyatake, Dorothea Lange, and Ansel Adams. The text is sparse, written and presented with unflinching honesty. Angela's voice shares the information with subtle compassion. While designed for young listeners, this audiobook may appeal to those of all ages and is even better enjoyed with a print copy in hand, as the illustrations and photographs complete an insightful account of this heartrending period in American history. C.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 10/24/2022
Combining photography, art, and reproduced historical records for a documentarian effect, this thoughtful, immersive nonfiction narrative builds on the varied work of three individuals who photographed people of Japanese heritage imprisoned at Manzanar during WWII. Dorothea Lange, who worked for the War Relocation Authority in 1942, hoped to “show what the government was doing was unfair and undemocratic,” but faced limitations around what she was allowed to frame, and saw many of her images impounded. Toyo Miyatake, imprisoned at Manzanar from 1942 to 1945, secreted in a film holder and camera lens, capturing candid images and seeking to “record everything.” Ansel Adams, who “had not been against the incarceration” and photographed the prison camp in 1943, “didn’t want to show anything that made Manzanar look like a hard place to live.” In smartly contextualized prose, Partridge (Lange’s godchild), layers brief first-person accounts and facets of imprisonment, including language used to describe the U.S. government’s actions. In fluid lines, Tamaki’s mixed media artwork illustrates the events, including the Manzanar Riot—for which “there would be no photographic record.” Extended back matter, including an essay on the model minority myth, concludes this crucial, perspective-interested work. Ages 10–14. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Any kid into graphic novels and comics is going to fall naturally into reading this factual history. The transition is almost seamless. As books about this moment in history go, Seen and Unseen has gotta be one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever encountered…a pleasure to read. The mix of illustration and photography is expertly done, the text never thick and dull. You are sucked into Partridge’s telling and Tamaki’s art from the get go…. History, photography, comic art, and a distinctly contemporary take on telling kids the truth about the past. What could be better?” - Betsy Bird, School Library Journal
“Any kid into graphic novels and comics is going to fall naturally into reading this factual history. The transition is almost seamless. As books about this moment in history go, Seen and Unseen has gotta be one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever encountered…a pleasure to read. The mix of illustration and photography is expertly done, the text never thick and dull. You are sucked into Partridge’s telling and Tamaki’s art from the get go…. History, photography, comic art, and a distinctly contemporary take on telling kids the truth about the past. What could be better?” - Betsy Bird, School Library Journal
“Accessible main text and primary-source quotes combined with remarkably creative use of contemporary illustrations and archival photographs results in a uniquely crafted and engaging historical narrative.” - The Horn Book
“Powerful visuals…accompanied by clear, straightforward text, this arresting work brings history to vivid life. A bold combination of art, media, and records create a compelling read.” -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
School Library Journal
★ 10/28/2022
Gr 5 Up—Art reflects the harsh realities of life in this emotional look at the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans, filtered through the lenses of three very different photographers. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forcibly relocated all Japanese immigrants and their descendants, many who were American citizens, into concentration camps. The War Relocation Authority commissioned photographer Dorothea Lange to capture images of the internment to prove the process was being done ethically. Lange, who opposed the fear-mongering endeavor, instead used her camera to show the absurdity of calling these average Americans "threats." Toyo Miyatake, himself a Manzanar prisoner, used a secretly constructed camera to take candid shots of the bleak facilities, but also of the supportive community that surrounded him. Ansel Adams had not opposed the incarceration, but by the end of the war felt that loyal citizens should be welcomed back to society. Adams used carefully posed portraits to show exactly what Lange's work initially underscored—how ridiculous it was to suggest a child or grandfather was a dangerous spy. In stark contrast to the heartbreaking subject matter, Tamaki's gorgeous black, white, and red illustrations work in tandem with Lange, Miyatake, and Adams's photographs to paint a devastatingly beautiful picture of both the injustice of the incarceration and the right to humane treatment, which they were denied. Coupled with Partridge's simple, perfect writing and back matter that deepens the text, this is a work that will haunt readers. VERDICT An essential first purchase.—Abby Bussen
MARCH 2023 - AudioFile
An important and often ignored part of American history is explained in this audiobook, narrated by June Angela. The Japanese American internment camps created during WWII were documented by several photographers, including Toyo Miyatake, Dorothea Lange, and Ansel Adams. The text is sparse, written and presented with unflinching honesty. Angela's voice shares the information with subtle compassion. While designed for young listeners, this audiobook may appeal to those of all ages and is even better enjoyed with a print copy in hand, as the illustrations and photographs complete an insightful account of this heartrending period in American history. C.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-07-13
The incarceration of Japanese Americans through a different lens.
Partridge and Tamaki spotlight three photographers who documented the experiences of those of Japanese descent who were imprisoned at Manzanar, California, during World War II. Though Dorothea Lange was commissioned by the government to show that the imprisonment was humane, she was adamantly opposed to the incarceration and instead captured images that showed that “what the government was doing was unfair and undemocratic.” Many of her images were impounded only to be released years later. Toyo Miyatake, who was imprisoned with his family, took great personal risk to build his own camera and documented things Lange had been forbidden from photographing. He eventually became the official photographer and captured more intimate and celebratory events. Finally, Partridge and Tamaki examine Ansel Adams, who “had not been against the incarceration” and “wanted to photograph mostly loyal Nisei” (those of Japanese descent born in the United States). He largely took portraits and posed photos. Aside from the work of the photographers, the book also touches on the Manzanar Riot and the loyalty questionnaire. Powerful visuals blend photographs, reproduced primary source documents, and smudgy, paint-lined illustrations and make dynamic use of color. Accompanied by clear, straightforward text, this arresting work brings history to vivid life.
A bold combination of art, media, and records create a compelling read. (map, further information on the period and on civil liberties, biographies of the photographers, discussion of the model minority myth) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
