(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gael Abary. A girl compares the color of her skin to that of her obaa, ojiichan, mama, and papa and probes her identity as the Hawaiian daughter of Japanese immigrants. While our protagonist’s obaa has “skin like the moon” that “shines like polished porcelain,” she is the product of her surroundings, sun-kissed and freckled. Ward’s short sentences, full of alliteration, read like poetry: “I am sunshine and sugarcane, sacred songs and slippahs. I am silk and sakura trees, tsuru and sencha green tea.” The narrator’s identity cannot be separated from the lush Hawaiian landscapes. With soft textures and earthy colors, Abary’s digital illustrations blend Japanese and Hawaiian imagery. The tidy patterns and reserved colors of obaa’s dress, as she calmly pours tea, contrast with her granddaughter’s sundress. The book ends with the child and her obaa on a beach, surrounded by what looks like Japanese pine trees and a rising or setting sun above a sandy beach dotted with hibiscus flowers and birds of paradise. The melding of past and present ultimately makes this a story about “old roots planted in new soil.” An author’s note offers more explanation about colorism being “an issue in many Asian cultures” and Ward’s own path to loving her skin.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Violet Kim. A man directs a racist comment at a Japanese American girl while she’s with her oba, leaving her in tears. Over soothing tea at her shop, Oba’s friend tells the girl about her experience in an internment camp during WWII. Oba explains that sometimes people’s fear of difference “plants roots and grows into anger,” which can lead to discrimination. This inspires the girl to plant love in her community. Ward handles racism with sensitivity, and Kim’s use of mostly bright colors helps to temper the book’s sadder moments. An author’s note and a glossary are appended.

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