It's Cherry Blossom Festival time in Vancouver, and Joy Kogawa has written a new children's book about a cherry tree titled “Naomi's Tree.
I LOVED the book Naomi's Road. It was written as a children's version of her award winning novel Obasan. It tells the story about the World War 2 internment of Japanese Canadians from a child's perspective.
When Joy grew up as a child in Vancouver, there was a cherry tree in the backyard of her home at 1450 West 64th Ave. But unfortunately when Joy was 6 years old, she and her family were forced to leave their home and cherry tree behind because in 1942, they were sent to internment camps in the Kootenays.
The young Joy never forgot the home nor the cherry tree, and she wrote about them in her novel Obasan, and the children's version titled Naomi's Road.
2005 was a busy year for Joy, as Obasan was chosen as the book for all Vancouverites to read in the One Book One Vancouver program at the Vancouver Public Library. In September, an short opera based on Naomi's Road debuted by the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble and traveled to schools throughout BC. But also in September, it was learned that Joy's childhood home was in danger of being demolished.
A campaign to save the home was launched and in May 2006, the house was purchased by The Land Conservancy of BC. In June, Joy was awarded the Order of BC. I have written about many of these events on this website.
Please see http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/JoyKogawaKogawaHouse
Joy Kogawa is coming to Kidbooks!!
Come celebrate Joy's new
book, Naomi's Tree, illustrated by Ruth Ohi. This beautiful picture
book, based on the characters in her classic children's novel, Naomi's Tree looks at the internment of Canadians of Japanese descent during the Second World War.
Date: Thursday April 10th, 2008
Time: 7:00pm
Place: Vancouver Kidsbooks – 3083 West Broadway, Vancouver
Tickets: $5.00 Each person attending needs a ticket.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact us at Vancouver Kidsbooks (604-738-5335) or e-mail events@kidsbooks.ca
Please Note: Tickets
are fully redeemable toward Joy Kogawa's books on the night of the
event only. If you are unable to attend, but would like signed copies,
please call or e-mail us in advance.
View our Flyer (PDF)
This
event is jointly sponsored by Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Vancouver Cherry
Blossom Festival, The Land Conservancy of B.C. and Historic Joy Kogawa
House Society.