Yukie's Island: My Family's World War II Story

by Yukie Kimura, Kodo Kimura (Illustrator), Steve Sheinkin

A moving picture book autobiography about a family’s resilience and path to healing after the devastation of war.

It's 1945, the final year of World War II. Yukie Kimura is eight years old. She lives on a tiny island with a lighthouse in the north of Japan with her family, and she knows that the fighting that once felt so far away is getting closer.

Mornings spent helping her father tend to the lighthouse and adventuring with her brother are replaced by weeks spent inside, waiting. At some point, Yukie knows, they may be bombed.

Then, it happens. One Sunday, bombs are dropped. The war ends soon after that. Everyone tells Yukie there's nothing to be scared of anymore, but she's not so sure. So she watches and she waits―until a miraculous sight finally allows her to be a kid again.

This is the true story of Yukie Kimura told in her own words, co-created with her son, illustrator Kodo Kimura, and co-written with bestselling Newbery Honor author Steve Sheinkin. Yukie's Island is an honest, thoughtful, and stirring picture book about being a child living through wartime.

Genres: Picture Books, History, Nonfiction, Biography, Japan, War, Family

48 pages, Hardcover

Published July 18, 2023

Reviews

[Jennifer]

The narrative seemed unfinished. The back matter is excellent.

[Hinnah Khan]

This was good and I loved the unique perspective, but I wanted a little more to the story. Maybe more details or transitions would help. It would serve as a good introduction to the topic.

[Brittany]

I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. This nice little picture book bio was a first hand look at what it was like in Japan during WWII and the allied bombings. I wish the book had given a bit more detail, but because of the age it was written for, I understand why many things were left out. It really felt like the author struggled to figure out what to add and what was too much/not enough.

[Rachel Grover]

Gorgeous illustrations. Loved the perspective of a Japanese family on the edges of WWII. Ended too abruptly for me. Extensive, useful back matter.

[Erin]

A beautiful family story that captures the power of oral history and personal memories. I wish everyone had access to the author and illustrator resources on display here: I kept imagining my own parents’ and grandparents’ stories and how they might look in a similar format.

Kōdo Kimura’s illustrations really do plop the reader in the midst of Yukie’s memories. The slice on display here is of an isolated Japanese lighthouse and the surrounding community. Yukie and her siblings explore the world around them and absorb news of the war as it ebbs and flows around them. The memories culminate in some of the final moments of WWII, when her community suffered enormous casualties from an extended air raid.

The entire experience thoughtfully demonstrates the way that war affects ordinary people.

[Dolores]

This picture book memoir recounts the childhood of the illustrator's mother. The art is lovely and the story sweet and gentle. Yet it is set in Japan during World War II. Yukie and her family were very isolated on their island, and Yukie recalls her childhood as "happy, thrilling--'a really great and special memory.'" It's very interesting to think that while war raged around them, children still were children, and took the occasion terror in stride.

[Jennifer]

Book written from the memories of a family of Japanese survivors of World War 2 allied bombings of Japan. This is an especially unique book because the family lived alone on an island running a lighthouse, so although there are frightening times, there are rather beautiful idyllic moments too. Gorgeous pictures and I loved the notes at the end which gave more historical detail, context, and the reasons for writing the book.

[Brittany]

This book is written by Steve Sheinkin based on, and with input from, Yukie Kimura, though admittedly he "took some liberties arranging these memories into a narrative and condensing the action into one year." It shows Yukie's life growing up by a lighthouse in Japan during World War II. Although the war, and fears created by the war, are shown, the book focuses at least as much on playing by the water with her siblings.

[Alice]

4 stars for this little memoir about the homefront of Japan during World War II. We often forget their were civilians impacted by the war

I read a digital advance reader's copy courtesy of the publisher

[Valarie]

This is a different kind of WWII story that isn’t particularly scary, and will help kids understand how many perspectives there are about this conflict. However, it didn’t seem like an especially critical story to be told.

[Kathy]

A sweet, true story of an unusual childhood, filled with adventure (living on a lighthouse island and exploring!), scary things (being bombed by the Americans), and sadness (several of her classmates didn't survive), but ultimately, it's a story of resiliance.

[Barbara]

5 stars for the splendid illustrations! 4 stars for text. The story is told in a sweet manner, but seems to just stop, w/ no ending. However, the notes from the author, and artist are quite interesting and informative!

[wildct2003]

Good story

[Susan Jones]

Beautiful pictures and a story of a side of WWII we don't usually see.

[Jacqui]

3.5

[D]

3+

[Relyn]

Relyn Rating: 3.5 stars

We need more books like this to be published.

[Melanie Gaum]

It had an abrupt ending, but interesting author and illustrator notes.

[Gina]

Some of the developments are a little abrupt, but it does give a real feeling for the time and place.

[Maddi Capellen]

Very informational, while still being appropriate for children.

[Karen Kline]

A somber autobiography of a girl and her family on a remote Japanese island during WWII. The authors' afterwards contain explanations and statistics about Japanese history and deaths of innocent citizens.