Ichiro

Inzana, R. (2012). Ichiro. New York, NY: Houghton Miffin Harcourt Publishing Company. Ichiro has grown up in the United States. His father was killed in the Iraq war, and his mother thinks it would be best if they move to Japan with her father. Ichi does not know his grandfather or the country, but his grandfather takes him to many historical places to show and teach him the history of Japan. At his grandfather’s home, the fruit from the trees is disappearing, so Ichi and his grandfather set up a trap for the creature. When he catches him, Ichiro finds out it is a shape shifter, and it drags him to a kind of underworld. He is only able to leave the world of the dead by accepting the help of Hachiman, a war god and ends up unconscious on a beach. After his mother finds him, Ichiro is more accepting of his new country and grandfather. I think this is a great graphic novel. The Illustrations were colorful and with creative insight. I feel that a reluctant reader can get lost in this book and will learn many things about Japan. I feel that this graphic novel best suits middle school students and up since many of the creatures in the fantasy world would be too frightening or not understandable by a younger audience. This book combines a bit of history and fantasy. As Ichiro’s grandfather takes him on a tour of Japan, he describes many historical events, such as the atomic bomb hitting Hiroshima. Another thing we see in Ichiro is that because of his experiences, he is able to be more open minded about Japan and his grandfather at the end.