A Scarf for Keiko by Ann Malaspina, Merrilee Liddiard
Published by Kar-Ben Publishing (R) on February 1, 2019
ISBN: 1541521641
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
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Racism and the underlying fears prompt us to do things that later may seem unbelievable. Sam’s fear prevents him from standing up for Keiko when his friends shun her because she is of Japanese ancestry. He also has no motivation to learn to knit to help the war effort like his classmates are doing. After Keiko and her family are relocated to an internment camp, she leaves him a pair of knit socks for his brother and entrusts her bicycle to him. Then he realizes the desert is cold at night, and he knits a scarf for Keiko. The fact that Sam’s family is Jewish is secondary to the main story, but opens the door for additional conversation.

The simple cartoonish illustrations hold limited dark colors and resemble sepia contrasted with some white. 

This could be an important book to introduce middle grade students about the internment of Japanese during WWII. However, the backmatter lists December 6 as the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, and the illustrations show children a bit younger than the audience to whom this might be directed. These might not be problems in the right teacher’s hands.

Companion books could include “The Bracelet” by Yoshiko Uchida, “How Baseball Saved Us” by Ken Mochizuki, and “Knit Your Bit” by Deborah Hopkinson.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town