Dash by Kirby Larson

 

Larson, Kirby. Dash. New York: Scholastic Press, 2014. ISBN 978-0-545-41635-1

Plot

Eleven-year-old Mitsue Kashino, Mitsi, was born and raised in Seattle. She had three best friends, two girls she went to school with and a dog named Dash. She loved to draw and was a good writer, her fifth-grade teacher even said so. But everything changed for Mitsi after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mitsi was faced with hatred, fear, and suspicion just because of how she looked and where her ancestors were from. Even her two best schoolgirl friends pulled away from her. Soon after, Mitsi and thousands of other Japanese-Americans were forced from their homes, forced to leave behind friends, jobs, and belongings, forced to move to incarceration camps. And the worst part for Mitsi—no pets allowed. A kindly neighbor, Mrs. Bowker, agreed to take Dash in and care for him as though he were her own, but that didn’t stop Mitsi’s heart from shattering. Life in the camp Mitsi and her family were sent to is full of hardships—no privacy, itchy straw mattresses in a single room too small for their family of five, scarce resources, limited good food, and so on. But gradually Mitsi finds some bright spots in it all. She is able to exchange letters with Dash through Mrs. Bowker. Her family is together, and she even makes a friend. Through it all, Mitsi holds out hope for the day she can be reunited with Dash.

Analysis

Dash was inspired by the true story of Mitsue Shiraishi and her dog named Chubby. In an author’s note and page of acknowledgments, the author, Kirby Larson, describes the background of the story and the resources she used to ensure the story was authentic and accurate. The book’s Mitsi suffered the same treatment as the real-life Mitsi. Mentions of historical figures and actual activities of those in the camps, such as creating gardens with rocks and weeds, putting furniture together with scraps of scavenged wood, and eventually attending a school, add to the authenticity of the story. Cultural elements were scattered throughout the book as well, from popular fads, games, and books American children enjoyed in the ‘40s to the geta and kimono many of those with Japanese heritage wore. Some Japanese language is also employed in the book, particularly with Mitsi’s grandmother who was born and raised in Japan. The author effectively incorporates these elements without dwelling on them, making the story accessible and appropriate for younger readers.

The injustice and mistreatment of Japanese-Americans and Japanese immigrants in the wake of the Pearl Harbor bombing is told through the eyes of Mitsi, a likeable and relatable young girl. There is a sharp contrast between Mitsi’s happy life with her friends, her beloved dog, and her warm family and Mitsi’s upended life in the incarceration camp. Her friends are gone, having abandoned her even before she was sent away, her dog was not allowed to join her in the camp, and it seems that her family is fracturing. Her grandmother spends a lot of time with a group of friends, her parents are busy trying to make the place more inhabitable, and her brother seems to have fallen in with a bad crowd. There often isn’t even space for them to eat together as a family, something they always did before. Readers can feel the despair, depression, and heartbreak Mitsi feels. Readers can feel the dirt, grime, and desolation of the camps as Mitsi does. But with universal themes of family, hope, and love, readers can also feel the hope of the people in the camp, the resilience and strength of those forced into this unthinkable place. The miserable conditions of the camp were described as Mitsi experienced them, as were the bright spots that Mitsi found.  

Awards and Recognition

Kirby Larson is an award-winning author. Dash has received several starred reviews and is a winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

“Larson makes this terrible event in American history personal with the story of one girl and her beloved pet. Spot-on dialogue, careful cultural details and the inclusion of specific historical characters such as artist Eddie Sato make this an educational read as well as a heartwarming one. […] This emotionally satisfying and thought-provoking book will have readers pulling for Mitsi and Dash.”—Kirkus Starred Review

“Inspired by real-life wartime events, the novel vividly communicates the emotional and physical ordeals endured by Japanese-Americans evacuated to relocation camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. […]Despite the hurdles Mitsi faces, hope, resourcefulness, and a new friend help this relatable heroine triumph.”—Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Although Mitsi has lost everything familiar, the one thing that matters to her is Dash, a sentiment that will resonate with many readers. We root for Mitsi, a true victim of circumstance, throughout because of her bravery and dogged determination to get Dash back.”—Michaela MacColl, Historical Novel Society

Connections

This book introduces life in incarceration camps for Japanese-Americans and Japanese immigrants during World War II. Take this opportunity to further discuss that time period and what life was like, and to learn more about the historical figures mentioned in the book. Eddie Sato’s drawings may be of particular interest, some of which can be viewed here: https://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/harmony/exhibit/photo/sato

Another helpful resource, which includes pictures, short videos, and essays can be found here: https://densho.org

Also consider reading other books that take place in Japanese internment camps during World War II, such as:

• Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban
• Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
• Sylvia & Aki by Winifred Conkling
• Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook by Beverly Patt
• Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki and illustrated by Dom Lee
• The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559 Mirror Lake Internment Camp, a “My Name is America” novel by Barry Denenberg
• They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (for older readers)

*This review was written for a youth literature class through Texas Woman’s University.