Kenji and the Cricket: A book about Post-war Japan
Friday, August 6th, 2010
Today is Aug. 6, the anniversary date of the bombing of Hiroshima. Shortly afterwards Japan surrendered. In the wake of such catastrophic defeat, thousands of children were orphaned. Kenji and the Cricket by Adele Wiseman, illustrated by Shizuye Takashima (Porcupine’s Quill, 1988) is the story of such a war orphan. Kenji is from Tokyo. With no parents or place to live, he wanders the city alone, scrounging for food from fish markets and restaurants. One summer evening, he discovers a cricket in the bushes in the park. The soothing music of the insect comforts Kenji and he adopts him as a pet. But where and how will he keep such a precious but fragile creature? Kenji sets out with the cricket stuffed in his shirt, determined to find it a home.
Kenji and the Cricket is a little known classic of Canadian children’s literature. Written by the late Adele Wiseman in 1988, and illustrated by late Japanese Canadian artist, Shizuye Takashima (author of A Child in Prison Camp), the work is a collaboration by two well known Canadian women artists. I don’t think I’d ever read anything about Japanese war orphans in English for children until I read this book. Up until then my only knowledge of the plight of such children was through John Dower’s Pulitzer Prize winning historical analysis of Japan in the immediate post-war period Embracing Defeat published in 1999. And also, there was a film by well known Japanese filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki called Grave of the Fireflies, which was also released in Japan in 1988 alongside his children’s blockbuster, My Neighbor Totoro.
If you’re looking for a book that describes the plight of war orphans, you might just look up Kenji and the Cricket. Do you know of any good books that cover this topic for children? Do recommend them to me and others by leaving a comment!
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