by Ellen Schwartz (j Schwartz)
Esther and Michiko are best friends. They do everything together including pretending they’re Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. When the local toy shop displays doll versions of the British Princesses, of course Esther and Michiko dream of having them. Set in the early 1940’s in Canada, in an atmosphere which is increasingly hostile towards the Japanese community, the two young girls try to negotiate their friendship in the face of good fortune for one, and bad fortune for the other.
The illustrations are sweet and the
Canadian vantage point adds interesting details to the story. It is both a good
read for those interested in the history of the early forties and the treatment
of Japanese in North America, but also it feels like an authentic
representation of the interactions of little girls.
(If you enjoy this, you may also
wish to try Write to Me by Cynthia Grady, Dust of Eden by Mariko Nakai, or They Called Us Enemy by George Takei.)
( official The
Princess Dolls page on the official Ellen Schwartz
web site )
Recommended
by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service
Have you read or listened to
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