Notable Book, Social Studies, Children's Books Council

"I will take care of your garden, Mr. Hiroshi," I offered.
He smiled. "That would give me great comfort, Mary," he said. "The koi are greedy, you know. Do not let them get fat." We watched the bus drive away.

For Mary, too young to fully understand about war and far-off places, the promise was meant to last only until Mr. Hiroshi came back. But after a while it was clear the her friend wouldn't be coming home. Still, Mary faithfully kept her word all through that long summer. And when the new people came to live in Mr. Hiroshi's house, she knew exactly what to do.

A tale as elegant as a Japanese garden!

Once more, Maxine Trottier takes a small piece of a larger story, nurtures it with care, and grows a tale as elegant as a Japanese Garden. Flags is a simple story of innocence and friendship set against a backdrop of fear and suspicion. A story that must be told and told again--but never allowed to recur.

- Originally published as Flags

Click here to see the Teacher's Guide for on Maxine's web site. Note that the original name of the book was Flags.

Reviews:
"[Mr. Hiroshi's Garden] is exactly the kind of picture book which will be treasured by teachers, librarians, and parents.
Highly Recommended."
-- CM Magazine

"Set on the West Coast during the Second World War, this exquisitely sad and beautiful book tells of the friendship between Mary, a prairie girl visiting her grandmother for the summer, and Mr. Hiroshi, the next-door neighbour, who shares his garden with her until he is interned with the other Japanese Canadians in the area. When Mary says goodbye to Mr. Hiroshi, she promises to look after his garden. She keeps her promise until the house is sold, and then honours the friendship by transplanting two of his irises – a variety called flags – in the soil of her prairie home."
-- Quill and Quire

"Ages 4 to 8 will enjoy the strong colours of these full-page illustrations for a story that is both sad, enlightening and educational."
-- Burnaby Now

"Flags is a powerful retelling of a dark incident in Canadian history - the Japanese Canadian internment during World War II. Maxine Trottier has taken a small piece of this much larger and more complex story and told it in a language and setting which young children can understand."
-- Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada

Maxine Trottier has an array of exceptional books to her credit. She has earned the CLA Book of the year Award and has twice won the Ontario Women Teacher’s Federation Writing Award. Maxine lives with her husband William and their two Yorkies, Ceilidh and Moon. They divide their year between Port Stanley, Ontario, and Newman's Cove, Newfoundland. Both small fishing towns are wonderful places to write.

Visit Maxine's web site at www.maxinetrottier.com.

Paul Morin, an accomplished painter, sculptor and musician is also the illustrator of a number of children’s books. He has also received 25 international awards for his book illustrations. In addition, Paul has won many accolades for his work, including ten awards from the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators, and a nomination for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Mr. Morin now lives near Rockwood, Ontario.

To find out more about Paul go to www.paulmorinstudios.com.

1550051520
8 x 11, 32 pages, Trade Paper
General