My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story by George Takei (review)

Reviewed by: My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story by George Takei Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Takei, George My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story; illus. by Michelle Lee. Crown, 2024 48p Trade ed. ISBN 9780593566350 19. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593566374 11. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 2-4 Hailing readers with Star Trek's famous Vulcan sign in the opening pages of this picture book bio, actor George Takei (They Called Us Enemy, BCCB 12/19) shares his experience in Japanese American internment camps, which left an indelible and painful mark in his childhood. When FDR signed the act instructing the removal of all Japanese Americans to internment camps, Takei was just four years old; the world turned upside down almost overnight, as the next few years moved Takei and his family three times, first to a racetrack and then to two internment camps, all of which were unhygienic and heavily policed. There were bright spots, many orchestrated by his father, including baseball games, dance nights, and movie viewings, but none of those distractions were enough to make Takei and his family forget the freedom that was taken from them. Takei's narration is contemplative but conversational, inviting the reader to see his experience both through the eyes of his child self and End Page 297 the somber reflections of an adult. His excitement as a four-year-old about taking a train trip to a "vacation" in the country is relatable but terribly bittersweet, as Takei as the narrator and the readers know where that journey will lead and the heartbreak that will come with it. While the art is uneven, striking compositions hammer home the complexity of the situation, especially in an early page where a cherubic Takei holding a toy horse is overlayed against newspaper headlines about the Pearl Harbor attack. Throughout, Takei's affection for his family, especially his father, is deeply felt, underscoring the fact that this experience was only tolerable because his parents made the best of it, even though they absolutely shouldn't have had to do such a thing in the first place. An author's note is included, detailing the events after Takei and his family left the camp. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois