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Summary
Summary
Caldecott Medalist, Allen Say, presents a companion to his award-wining DRAWING FROM MEMORY - the story of his coming-of-age at a military academy and the discovery of what it means to be AmericanFor Allen Say, life as teen in Southern California was a cold existence. His father, one of the leading hamburger salesmen in Japan, ran a booming burger business, much like McDonald's, and sent Allen to an American military academy, so that his son could learn English and "become a success in life." As the school's first and only Japanese student, he experienced immediate racism among his fellow cadets and his teachers. The other kids' parents complained about Allen's presence at the all-white school. As a result, he was relegated to a tool shed behind the mess hall. Determined to free himself from this oppression, Allen saved enough money to buy a 1946 Ford for $50 - then escaped to find the America of his dreams! In this follow-up to DRAWING FROM MEMORY, Allen continues to reinvent himself as an author and illustrator. Melding his paintings with cartoon images and archival photos, Allen Say delivers an accessible book that will appeal to any reader in search of himself.
Author Notes
Allen Say was born in 1937 in Yokohama, Japan and grew up during the war, attending seven different primary schools amidst the ravages of falling bombs. His parents divorced in the wake of the end of the war and he moved in with his maternal grandmother, with whom he did not get along with. She eventually let him move into a one room apartment, and Say began to make his dream of being a cartoonist a reality. He was twelve years old.
Say sought out his favorite cartoonist, Noro Shinpei, and begged him to take him on as an apprentice. He spent four years with Shinpei, but at the age of 16 moved to the United States with his father. Say was sent to a military school in Southern California but then expelled a year later. He struck out to see California with a suitcase and twenty dollars. He moved from job to job, city to city, school to school, painting along the way, and finally settled on advertising photography and prospered. Say's first children's book was done in his photo studio, between shooting assignments. It was called "The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice" and was the story of his life with Noro Shinpei. After this, he began to illustrate his own picture books, with writing and illustrating becoming a sort of hobby. While illustrating "The Boy of the Three-year Nap" though, Say suddenly remembered the intense joy I knew as a boy in my master's studio and decided to pursue writing and illustrating full time.
Say began publishing books for children in 1968. His early work, consisting mainly of pen-and-ink illustrations for Japanese folktales, was generally well received; however, true success came in 1982 with the publication of The Bicycle Man, based on an incident in Say's life. "The Boy of the Three-Year Nap" published in 1988, and written by Dianne Snyder, was selected as a 1989 Caldecott Honor Book and winner of The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for best picture book.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this companion to Drawing from Memory (2011), Say recalls his life as a teenager in the U.S. after leaving Japan for military school in California at age 15. The school, run by a friend of his father's, later expels Say; they don't think he will make "a wholesome American." As a minor with almost no income and a father whose psychological cruelty verges on sadistic, the boy finds himself at the mercy of his country's former enemy. Bullied and patronized ("I got nothing against you, buddy.... But my pop fought against you guys"), he is rescued by kindly strangers who recognize his artistic talent. In his loneliness, Say remembers the cartoon character Kyusuke, a sort of Japanese Pinocchio who provides him with a comic alter ego during his most anguished moments. "How could I forget?" the artist asks himself after his father visits from Japan to personally oversee his expulsion. "I'm Kyusuke! Who needs a father! Good-bye, Father!" The pages offer a wealth of graceful ink portraits, drawings, and paintings, and a provocative view of postwar America from the outside in. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
This sequel to Drawing from Memory takes fifteen-year-old Allen to Glendora, California. He's first enrolled in a military academy, then, happily, in a regular school, taking classes at an L.A. art institute and working part-time in a printing shop. Throughout, he's accompanied by scapegrace comic-strip alter ego Kyusuke. The illustrations are a pleasing combination of neat and nimble watercolor cartoon panels and black-and-white sketches. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Caldecott Award-winning author and illustrator Say presents an autobiographical story about his first three years in America. Just eight years after the end of WWII, Say came to the U.S. from Japan and felt the sting of discrimination, the uncertainty of a vocational calling, and his father's cold abandonment. With the keen eyes of an artist, Say has a moving, contemplative way of seeing the myriad people he encounters and describes them with an uncommon insight in both his beautiful ink-and-watercolor illustrations in varied styles and his matter-of-fact prose. In a layout recalling the American comic books he loved as a child, the narrative is episodic, dwelling quietly on pivotal moments and memories, such as the kind high-school principal who welcomed him warmly and his first days at art school. Experiencing his fair share of setbacks and lucky breaks, Say weaves an ultimately optimistic story of the American Dream, which emphasizes the importance of education and perseverance. With beautiful artwork and an engaging story, this affecting account will resonate with all ages. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Say is both beloved and award-winning, so expect droves for his latest autobiographical title.--Anderson, Erin Copyright 2015 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up-In this follow-up to the autobiographical Drawing from Memory (Scholastic, 2011), 15-year-old Japanese immigrant Allen is sent by his father to a California military academy soon after World War II to improve his English and to make something of himself. A variety of adults and a few peers help him move toward his goal of establishing himself as an artist but are characterized mostly by the inconstant way they slip in and out of his life. His most regular companion is his imaginary alter ego, the cartoon boy Kyusuke, whose creator, Say's mentor Noro Shinpei, modeled after Say. The storytelling is light and episodic, which helps underscore the veracity of the narrative but prevents the action from building in any dramatic fashion. The book features numerous still ink and watercolor re-creations of the people and places from this era in Say's development; most are realistic but also feature the sketchbook cartoon style Say employed at the time, particularly when he channels Kyusuke. However, use of actual sequential sequences are minimal, and readers' abilities to glean details from landscapes, the nuances of character portraits, and the choice of medium or style will determine how much emotional context the illustrations add to the narrative. VERDICT A deceptively simple story, given depth by technically excellent illustrations that require a sophisticated level of visual and cultural literacy to successfully interpret.-Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this continuation of Say's graphic memoir, Drawing from Memory (2011), he travels to the United States and receives a decidedly mixed welcome. Arriving in southern California in 1953, 15-year-old Allen first settles in a military academy but is soon asked to leave because his sponsor comes to believe that he won't be (as Say's own openly hostile father puts it) "a wholesome American." Never quite fitting in, he goes on to acquire an apartment and a job, take art classes, and, after high school graduation, set off in relief for San Francisco. "I will never," he concludes emphatically, "come back." Though his personal voice, his gratitude for the support he does receive, and occasional flashes of rueful humor are evident enough, overall his sense of isolation from people and events around him colors his entire experience. The many quick sketches, caricatures, practice pieces, and even the relatively finished scenes of significant incidents or encounters with which his account is interspersed, though, add life and feeling in abundance to the often spare narrative. Moreover, all along the way, his determination to become a cartoonist never fades, and at low moments Kyusuke, the free-spirited alter ego created for him back in Japan by his mentor and sensei, Noro Shinpei, pops into view to remind him that it's all an adventure. This small but firm step on an artist's journey is both inspiration to his fellows and an informative window into a particular slice of the nation's history. (afterword, with photos) (Graphic memoir. 10 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.