As a girl, Alice loved to dance, but the rhythms of her life offered little opportunity for a foxtrot, let alone a waltz. World War II erupted soon...
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reviews
Apr 02, 2011
Nicolewinter2011
rated it: 
Illustrator: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Year: 2004
Interest Level: 3-5
Reading Level: 2-3
This picture book has beautiful illustrations to guide the reader through the story. The title is a little misleading, being that the dancing is a very minor part of the story. I wonder if the editor ended up chopping a lot of the music/dancing element of the story. The story is based on the life of Alice Sumida and her husband who were given the "opportun More...
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Year: 2004
Interest Level: 3-5
Reading Level: 2-3
This picture book has beautiful illustrations to guide the reader through the story. The title is a little misleading, being that the dancing is a very minor part of the story. I wonder if the editor ended up chopping a lot of the music/dancing element of the story. The story is based on the life of Alice Sumida and her husband who were given the "opportun More...
Nov 27, 2011
Shauna
rated it: 
Rarely does a children's book invoke the kind of sincere reverence that is exhibited by Allen Say's breathtaking story, Music For Alice. Poetic imagery melds with quiet prose to produce a well-crafted and simply flawless book. Our protagonist, Alice, retells her life story- forced labor during the time of Japanese internment camps, the modest farm bought with government loans, the hard years when their harvests couldn't sell, and the years when Alice and her husband turned their portion of des
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May 06, 2010
Josiah
rated it: 
It's easy when reading Allen Say's picture books to forget about the incredible illustrations, because his writing is so deep, and focused. I suggest for those that will read Music for Alice as their first encounter with Allen Say's work to make a concerted effort to appreciate the author's splendid art, because it's surprisingly easy to overlook it.
Music for Alice is a very realistic look at the life journey that one Japanese-American girl faces, coming of age as a young adult ju More...
Music for Alice is a very realistic look at the life journey that one Japanese-American girl faces, coming of age as a young adult ju More...
Apr 19, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
I enjoyed this book I thought that it was a good way to show the internment camps to younger ages. I really enjoyed the moral behind the story that you can never give up on your dreams because something can happen when you least expect it.
Summary: The Japanese-Americans, Alice and her husband were taken away to internment camps during the World War II. Alice always loved to dance and when in these camps she did not believe she could. This is a great story about how life is truly full o More...
Summary: The Japanese-Americans, Alice and her husband were taken away to internment camps during the World War II. Alice always loved to dance and when in these camps she did not believe she could. This is a great story about how life is truly full o More...
Jan 03, 2009
Snorkle
rated it: 
The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. I just love Allen Say's drawings. They are so realistic, and yet soft. I could look at his artwork all day. This was a sad story, but at the same time, I wasn't majorly depressed. I felt that it was justified in its sadness and that it still had enough moments of hope to counter the sadness. I would recommend this book.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009/01... More...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009/01... More...
Aug 14, 2010
Lobstergirl
rated it:
A Japanese-American immigrant story of love, persecution, hardship, loss, and finding peace. Say's watercolor illustrations are lovely and haunting. I wonder if he was painting from snapshots; some of them have figures standing before a scene as if posing for a camera. I like his dilapidated buildings.
Aug 24, 2010
Kirei
rated it:
I hate to give an Allen Say book only two stars. I just don't think this would appeal to many children. It is the story a woman and her husband who make a success of farming gladiolas. I think if it had been told from the point of view of a child, it would have been more interesting.
Aug 10, 2011
Mimi
rated it:
Beautiful and poignant story of Japanese American woman who lived through WWII internment, love the details of her farming adventures and realizing her dreams. It sounds like a true story, even though (I think) it's fiction with historical details.
May 04, 2010
Natalie
rated it:
this book brought a tear to my eye. the story is about a japanese american couple living in america at the time of WWII. It tells their story about the life they lived during and after the war. It was a touching tale.
Feb 10, 2009
Christie
rated it:
This excellent nonfiction picture book tells the story of a Japanese-American woman and her husband who are briefly interned during WWII and then become successful farmers.
Jul 08, 2008
Heidi
rated it:
I liked the illustrations. They were simple but they conveyed a lot. Parts of the story were interesting, for the fact that they dealt with parts of history that are not often taught at a child's age. But the progression of the story seemed to jump ahead too much and the resolution was kind of... odd to me.
Sep 12, 2011
Theresa
rated it:
how the Japanese survived outside the camps in the us during world war ii, and how the swift change affected the rest of their lives
Jan 10, 2012
Aug 21, 2011
Jul 25, 2011
