A review by kimiloughlin
So Far from the Sea by Eve Bunting

5.0

Gorgeous illustrations and important story. So Far From the Sea tells a super simple story of the Iwasaki family who is visiting the remnants of the Manzanar Japanese Internment camp, where their grandfather is buried. Though the young kids, Laurie and Thomas, never met their grandfather, they hold him in a special place in their heart. Their father and mother share memories of their times in their respective camps and the group leave silk flowers and a family memento on the grave. This picture book does a good job of keeping the story simple for kids and yet giving just enough information to give context to the history. Soentpiet's illustrations are absolutely stunning and his black and white interpretations of the camp are very reminiscent of the photographs of Manzanar at the time.