Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story
The true story of Chiune Sugihara, the "Japanese Schindler," who, with his family's encouragement, saved thousands of Jews in Lithuania during World War II.
As a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania in the 1940s, Chiune Sugihara had a chance to help thousands of Jews escape the Holocaust through Japan, but it was against his government's orders. When his five-year-old son Hiroki asked, "If we don't help them, won't they die?" Sugihara decided to assist the refugees.
Based on Hiroki Sugihara's own words, Passage to Freedom is the first fully illustrated children's book to tell Sugihara's heroic story, highlighting his courageous humanity, and the importance of a child's opinion in his father's decision.
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Ken Mochizuki is a writer, journalist, and former actor who made his picture-book debut with Baseball Saved Us. He is also the author of several other award-winning picture books published by Lee & Low, including Passage to Freedom and Heroes. Mochizuki lives in Maple Valley, Washington. His website is kenmochizuki.com.
Dom Lee made his picture-book debut with Baseball Saved Us. He grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and went on to illustrate books in both the United States and Korea. His titles for Lee & Low include Ken Mochizuki's Passage to Freedom and Heroes, as well as the award-winning Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds. Lee's unique illustration style involves applying encaustic beeswax on paper, then scratching out images, and finally coloring the images with oil paint. Lee and his wife live in Hollis, New York.
* "Mochizuki and Lee's inspired treatment brings out the import of Sugihara's brave and compassionate decision. . . A stirring story." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Lee's stirring mixed-media illustrations in sepia shades are humane and beautiful; they capture the intensity of those days-when the crowds were at the gate and one man wrote and wrote the visas by hand-from the child's viewpoint. The immediacy of the narrative will grab kids' interest." -- Booklist
"This simple but stirring tale of courage and compassion seen through the eyes of a child is a unique contribution to holocaust literature for young readers." -- The Horn Book
"This is the kind of hard-hitting book that demands to be read-aloud and discussed, as it initiates powerful feelings about prejudice, humanness and integrity that need to be part of every child's learning. In this third collaboration of author and illustrator, Mochizuki and Lee have proven themselves to be a powerful team." -- The Children's Book Review
Blue Ribbon List - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Bluestem Award - Association of Illinois School Library Educators
CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
California Young Reader Medal Nominee
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor - Jane Addams Peace Association
National Jewish Book Award Finalist - Jewish Book Council
Notable Books for a Global Society - International Literacy Association (ILA)
Notable Books in the Language Arts - National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People - National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
Teachers' Choices - International Literacy Association (ILA)
Texas Bluebonnet Award Shortlist - Texas Library Association (TLA)
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