Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Yas Imamura
Published by Candlewick Press on January 25, 2022
ISBN: 1536204307
Pages: 40
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrated by Yas Imamura is the love story of two Japanese-Americans who were placed in internment camps during WWII. It is honest in its portrayal of the injustice suffered among our citizens, while also portraying the hope and humanity that allowed these two characters (based on real people) to find love and miracles within one another during a terrible time in our not-so-distant past. The story weaves the words, miracle, human, throughout and reminds us again and again what it is to be truly resilient. The illustrations are warm, emotive, and evocative and add the final layer of beauty to this story, with a muted and tender color palette that helps ground the reader in a 1940’s timeframe.

It’s a hard story, but a necessary one. It leans toward the older picture book readers, but anyone would benefit from this story of the full moral spectrum of humanity. 

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, ME.