Anno's USA

Anno's Journey #4

by Mitsumasa Anno

In wordless panoramas a lone traveler approaches the New World from the West in the present day and journeys the width of the country backward through time, departing the east coast as the Santa Maria appears over the horizon.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Geography, Fiction, The United States Of America, Travel, Art

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1983

About the author

His name is written as 安野光雅 in Japanese.

Mitsumasa Anno (born March 20, 1926) was a Japanese illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books with few or no words. He received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1984 for his "lasting contribution to children's literature".

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time I read the summary first for me to better appreciate the wordless illustrations. Interspersed in his drawings of a reimagined version of the United States, Japanese Artist Anno travels on horseback from sea to shiny sea. Testing your knowledge on art, literature, history, movies, folklore, books, and architecture, you encounter a delightful range of characters, events, and buildings from the Alamo, Tom Sawyer, Santa Claus, Whistler's Mother, American Gothic, Sesame Street, Sendak's Wild Things, Davy Crockett, Preservation Hall, Paul Bunyan with Babe, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Paul Bunyan and Babe, the signing of the U. S. Constitution, the OK Corral, and the New York Public Library's lions to name a few. How many can you spot?

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of wonderful things to find, including many references to children's books:
Charlotte's Web, Make Way for Ducklings, The Rabbits' Wedding, The Little House, Little House in the Big Woods, Caddie Woodlawn, Angus and the Ducks, Play with Me, In the Forest, Where the Wild Things Are, My Father's Dragon, Ferdinand, Tom Sawyer, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Little Orphan Annie, Dawn, Peanuts, Sesame Street, "The Gift of the Magi", there are surely more just in this area.

The journey is not only cross-country, but back through history as well.

If only I still had the eyes of my youth.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I’ve always enjoyed looking over this paperback, seeing what all the figures are up to, picking out the references I know… I’m sure I only catch about half, or maybe even less—I’d love to read this with different people and see what they find!—but it’s always a pleasant experience. I like the vague but living drawings and how the cover the centuries…

[Jack Kirby and the X-man · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mitsumasa Anno comes with an amazing reputation and highly recommended by a number of friends (as well as being a Hans Christian Andersen Award winner).

USA is one of Anno's Journey books - charting the journey of a small, nameless character (that's him - the guy on the horse with the blue clothes and hat) from the west coast to the east coast of the USA. The progress isn't via the most direct route (eg he travels from Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC then Boston). Time is also all mixed up. There isn't a simple progression of time through the story - and even within the one picture there are vignettes from throughout history. I thought it would be useful to have a little more of a narrative between each illustration to bring the story together more.

You'll need to know your US history and cultural references to 'get' this book. For example the Philadelphia picture includes references to:
*Betsy Ross sewing the first 'stars and stripes' US flag
*Benjamin Franklin conducting his famous kite experiment to prove lightning is electricity.
*The Liberty Bell
*The signing of the Constitution
*Uncle Sam
*Sesame Street characters
and numerous other references which escape me.

Anno typically uses a number of large 'setting' buildings or landscape features - the Golden Gate and the Transamerica Pyramid building depicting San Francisco, the Alamo for Texas, the Capitol for Washington DC, etc. I have to say there are a couple of settings that I just don't get - the large cathedral, the park with the fountain, and numerous of the more rural scenes. Not really understanding the setting makes it difficult to interpret the more obscure vignettes.

When reading the book the comparisons with Where's Wally? (that's Waldo to those in the US, Willy in Norway, Walter in Germany, etc, etc) had to be made... It's been nearly 20 years since I've picked up a Wally book, so my recollections may be warped. This book generally seems to be more intellectual that the Wally books - many of the references require a much greater knowledge of history and culture than I remember from the Wally books. The Wally books focus more on the comedic value of the activities of the people featured than this book. The prime character is much, much, much easier to find in this book compared with the Wally books - the pages just aren't nearly as busy. The other comparision that could be made is that Anno, while critically successful, certainly didn't go on to be the mechandising and spin-off machine that the Wally series did.

Overall I found it interesting - but I think it will be a while before X-man can really get his teeth into this one.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is shelved and marketed as a children’s picture book, I think it’s more an art book. There’s no text, just highly detailed pictures inspired by Japanese artist Mitsumasa Anno’s travels in America. Hidden throughout these pictures are numerous references to American culture and history. I recognized Tom Sawyer painting the fence next to Mark Twain’s boyhood home, which I visited, as well as portraits of famous American actors. The period is rather chaotic, with a hotdog shaped cart in what seems to be a colonial village, for example. I’m also not sure the location of what is depicted is consistent in each picture. For example, though Twain was from Missouri, the picture with his house also has a Pueblo of the Southwest.

I think some kids would enjoy looking at the detailed pictures, but even as an American adult, I think I only picked up a fraction of the references. A key at the end noting the various references might have made this more accessible. But it’s still a unique and interesting book.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anno's U.S.A. is a wordless picture book representing the many scenes of United State. The beautiful images tell the story of a traveler exploring and crossing the United State from West to East many years ago. In every page there are details that are typical and representative of an area including elements from the past and the present.
Hawaiian dancers next to a surfer in Hawaii, adobe homes and Native Americans from the South West, Jazz bands playing music and a boxing match in the streets from the South, Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag and the signing of the Constitution in Philadelphia are some of the features that are displayed in Anno's illustrations.
It is a excellent book to show young students how to search for details and to initiate conversations. I can see students visiting this book several time and finding every time something new to share. Every page in Anno's book becomes a dare to find out new and more exciting details.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review of the first American edition in 1983.

This was one of the last, if not the, last book that my maternal grandmother bought. Our copy has my grandmother's name written in it. She lived in Florida when she died, which was a long haul from Pennsylvania. Mom could only take a few small things from Granny's home back with her. At the time, she also had four other siblings fighting for Granny's meager stuff. Mom can't remember why she chose this book to bring back. Considering Mom was traumatized by her mother's death, probably not a lot if conscious thought went into the planning.

It's also a mystery as to why Granny bought this. She was not a big reader. She was not into art. Perhaps she bought it with the intention of giving it to one of her many grandchildren. We'll never know.

The story itself has no text, although there is a three page explanation, including hints of what to look out for, at the back of the book.

Anno did make a couple of journeys through America, but that is not the story told here. Since the 1950s or so, it's basically impossible to ride a horse across America, let alone ride one without so much as a backpack of luggage. Not to mention rowing across the Pacific without supplies.

So, put reality aside. This is a fantasy about looking at America's past. What Anno chose to portray shows us more about him than about America. For example, he chooses to portray a funeral during the Old West days. That winds up being arguably the best drawing in the book.

The large color drawings are hypnotic. Anno is much better at drawing landscapes and buildings than figures. Although there are detailed portraits of prominent Americans, very little attention has been given to figures. He also is not very good at drawing horses, and there are horses in almost every page, although he is better at drawing cattle and dogs.

During a parade in New York, there are featured some of Anno's favorite American influences, such as the mythological figures of Paul Bunyan with Babe, and author/artist Maurice Sendak. There also appears to be a giant peach. Unfortunately, James and the Giant Peach was written by an English writer, not an American one.

All in all, a very strange, albeit tranquil, little book about what America looks like to a Japanese man.

[Jaynee Sant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes us on a journey through the USA. I love Anno's books! I love all the detail in the illustrations. There is so much action and life to look at on each page. If you look through the book quickly, you may not notice anything out of the ordinary, however, looking closely present and past are all mixed up in this story and there are little hidden Easter eggs on each page. There are characters from the Wizard of Oz, Marilyn Monroe, the Wild Things from Where the Wild Things Are, Santa and other easily recognizable characters.

It would be interesting to read more about Anno with my class because he grew up in Japan and drew the book through his experience when he took a trip to America. It would be fun for my students to see how many characters and reference they can find. Anno said that "I want my readers to work to discover for themselves as many as they can of the points I have illustrated." After letting my students read and study this book, I would like them to draw their own scenes and include some out of place elements that are important to them. This was a fun book!

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a children's book and it is barely comprehensible to me an adult. From reading the fore and post scripts I understand that this book represents Anno's journey from the west coast to the east coast of the United States and that each illustration includes various historical events from different eras. But why? Sure it is a unique perspective but is this perspective of any value? Will children understand or care? I did not see much value in this book of Anno's or in his similar ones like Anno's Journey and Anno's Italy. I am also not a great fan of his artwork which in a text-less book is what it is composed of. How is a parent or teacher supposed to "read" this book to children? I find it hard to imagine how I would discuss the illustrations.

[Grace Bolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Anno's U.S.A.' is a wordless book appropriate to read with 2nd through 5h grade students. The book takes you through the journey traveling from the west coast to the east coast of 18th century America. The pictures are beautifully detailed and describes what life was like during that time. To use this book with my future students I would connect with our Social Studies curriculum to develop the students' understanding of colonial America. It would be best to read this book with small groups of students so they are all really able to see the little details and better understand the story.

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 2 page spreads are totally awesome! It might be a wordless book, but the introduction of the author spoils all of as you will be informed what you'll expect in this book. Nevertheless, without the explanation, you wont get what this book is all about (obviously). Because it's done in a panoramic way, it feels and it pushes you to look at it like you're checking a "Where's Wally?".

[Kaitlin Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pages are so full of little details, I could come back to this book over and over and never be bored. A wonderful celebration of America's natural beauty and the "vigor and ingenuity of the people".

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating with plenty of Easter eggs, this book goes back in time covering American history and culture all in pictures.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordless except afterword. 1983 in Japanese; also 1983 in English. 1800s-vintage scenes with modern cities. Art and literature cameos from Tom Sawyer to Laurel and Hardy in The Music Box. Marvelous.

[Filbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in love with the pastoral, anachronistic, outsider's view of America seen in this book. I wish I lived that.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s much, much more than first meets your eye here.

[Cristina Quattrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting reading experience, maybe more for adults than for kids

[Drmkk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that teaches you how much you don't know. Here is a foreigner who has more literary and historical knowledge of my country than I do. I don't know how long or how many times you could look at this book and see something new.

[Adriana Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anno's U.S.A is an interesting book based on Anno's view of the United States. This book would make for a great read aloud, but would demand active participation since the book in wordless. Anno's U.S.A. could be used to learn about historic landmarks or a different genre for novels. I would recommend this book to first through third graders because the illustrations are simple and beautiful. Anno packed a lot into the book allowing the audience to never lose interest. It's almost guaranteed you will discover something new about the book each time you read it. Overall I enjoyed the book very much and believe that young students will too.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Genre: Wordless

2. Summary: This book tells the story of the founding of the United States by venturing from west coast to east coast in order to tell the story “backwards” in a sense. The adventure of a lone traveler starts in Hawaii and ends on the east coast with the arrival of English settlers. The story of the wild west, settling of the plains, and building of east coast colonies are all depicted along the journey.

3. Critique:
(a) Comment: The accuracy of the pictures is definite. The pictures show the way of life during critical time periods, days of celebration and death, youth and adulthood, rough times and prosperity. Architecture is also depicted accurately and with great detail. The author has told the story of many different countries through wordless pictures and does a good job of depicting the history of the settlement of the United States in reverse.
(b) The author uses great details in each of his illustrations. The people depicted are performing many different tasks of the appropriate place and time. The details allow the opportunity for many discussions and discoveries. I would say however that the numerous details and depictions on each page could be distracting. Also, upon further examination, some depictions are not necessarily accurate, but are perhaps added for fun. For example, basketball players are shown alongside a man cooking over an open fire. Overall, the book tells a wonderful story of settlement but perhaps does verge on the edge of being “too much to absorb”, if you will.
(c) Some of the depictions that are not necessarily accurate, for example, are the basketball scenario mentioned above (pp. 6), and Santa Claus and a reindeer talking to a woman in town (pp. 12). All of the illustrations however are very detailed and provide the opportunity for wonderful discussion. Despite the occasional inaccuracies that again I believe are probably created in jest, the illustrations show an accurate representation of the settlement of America.

4. This book would be a wonderful tool to use during a discussion of the settlement of the United States and could be used over numerous lessons. You could use portions to tell of the settlement of Virginia and the original colonies and use other pages to describe the further settlement west. For this reason is could also be used in a variety of different grade levels. Overall, I fantastic wordless picture book.

Citation: Anno, Mitsumasa (1983). Anno’s U.S.A., The Putnam Publishing Group, New York, NY

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting journey through some of America reveals just what a big, bold, and beautiful country we are.

[Christy Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. No awards
2. This book is appropriate for all elementary grades grades, although more detailed questions about the text can be suggested relating to history in grades 3-5.
3. The story of a traveler who leaves Hawaii, and embarks on a journey from west to east across the USA is depicted in beautiful, highly detailed illustrations. The time period changes and often combines multiple time periods within the same page, from the age of sky scrapers, to the wild west. Literary, historical, and pop culture references can be found in the drawings.
4. This incredibly beautiful book is wonderful for children of all ages. Every time I open it, I am surprised to find more detail, discovering new characters who join Anno on his journey across the USA. A favorite page includes the characters from the Gift of the Magi hidden in a bustling depiction of Central Park in NYC.
5. This text could be used in Kindergarten through 2nd grade simply to ask questions about what they observe on the page; there is so much to see! Questions about time period, and what might not belong on the pages that span the ages all in one illustration could be asked. In the higher grades, the book could be tied to history lessons (Betsey Ross can be seen sewing the American flag, the founding fathers can be spotted signing the declaration of Independence, The Liberty Bell is on display in Philadelphia, etc.). There are also literary references including The Gift of the Magi, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Anno wanted to create a picturebook about the USA he hadn't quite expected the country to be as big or extensive as it was. The scale of the country came as a shock but he perservered and, hiring a car, much like the lone traveler in his stories, enjoyed exploring the land. In the back of the book, Anno says:

'The history of America move across the country from East to West, so by making the traveller ride from West to East I am taking him back through the passage of time from page to page, until just as he is leaving America he encounters The Mayflower - which had arrived more than three hundred years before him.'

Anno's USA comprises of several landscaped double-page spreads in which we see a variety of settling and settled people and the cultures that they inhabit. There is an interesting argument here for the stereotyped, misrepresentation of some of the cultures and that would make an interesting exploration in itself but I enjoyed finding the mini-homages Anno gives to the literary greats: Sendak's Wild Things, Baum's Oz and McCloskey's Ducklings to name just a few.

There is so much to look at and explore here and I always enjoy Ann's blend between the past and present, rural and cityscape.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture is covered from top to bottom with illustrations which tells the story of Anno's journey through the United States. I love the way that Anno begins from the West and travels East.

Interesting point is that Mitsumasa Anno is from Japan so it would make sense to travel West to East since it is closer to Japan.

The pictures are hilarious. Each page gives us recognizable figures that associate themselves with that particular part of the USA. Anno sees Native Americans, skyscrapers, busy roads, mountains, Waldo (from Where's Waldo),etc. It's enjoyable as an American reader, however, it would be interesting to see what a immigrant my think of this or a reader from another country can draw from this book.

[Burton Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the art style in this book! It's a veritable where's Waldo but covers Amerca's history in brief. There is a lot to look at in the book as the traveler goes from the modern west coast to the newly settled east coast of the past. There are many surprises you can find in the pictures such as Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Lucy! So keep your eye out!

In a classroom I would use a project where the kids maybe write a story for the picture book since there are no words. The story could be from the traveler's perspective as he travels back in time.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wordless picture book. I think this is a type of book that my children would be surprised to see. However, I think they would enjoy reading this book because they are able to use their imagination. Based on what I saw in the pictures I think this was about a town who had a major event coming. The major even was a boxing fight. After the boxing fight there was a parade. Then there was a wedding. Next the soldiers were shooting for a ceremony.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a wordless book except for the long explanation in the beginning. Apparently there's a traveler traveling to the US and he sees a lot of historical events, which is neat. There are a LOT of little details to look at and I felt a little overwhelmed, like I didn't know where to look first.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anno journeys to the United States from Japan. He crosses the U.S.A. from West to East, passing, the Pioneers, bison, Native Americans, various key national monuments and historical sites and incorporating various classic literary and pop culture icons into his illustrations, including The Little House on the Prairies, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Wizard of Oz quartet, etc.

Grades 1-4.

[Paul Hankins]

Here is the "ladder" to Whitman using Anno's U. S. A. Have students take a moment to look at the two-page spreads. What is being communicated or celebrated in each of the illustrations. There's a lot to see and a lot to capture within the larger images.

[Stephanie Croaning · Rating 4 out of 5]

The details in Anno's works are always amazing and can captivate you as you search the scenes recognizing many American icons and well-known historic events. It's a little like finding Waldo, but more cerebral. These books probably appeal more to adults than children.