A Garden in Your Pocket: Three Years and Eight Months

Smith, I. (2013). Three years and
eight months. Manhattan Beach: East
West Discovery Press

Three Years and Eight Months

By Icy Smith

Illustrated by Jennifer Kindert

Published by East West Discovery Press

Manhattan Beach, California

2013

44 pages

Three Years and Eight Months is a compelling story of hardship and endurance based on true events. Told through the voice of a 10-year-old Chinese boy named Choi, the story takes place during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. One day when Choi gets to school all of the students are immediately sent home because of Japanese bombs descending on Hong Kong. Choi arrives home with his Uncle Kim only to see his mother dragged away by Japanese soldiers. Eventually Choi and his friend Taylor befriend a Japanese soldier named Watanabe-san, who offers the boys a job at the Japanese military station. One year then two years pass by and the boys are still working in the station and have secretly joined the resistance. Uncle Kim has gone off to work somewhere else - eventually he will reveal where. Finally, the United States calls for Japan's surrender...

This book is a powerful account of the affects of war on an ordinary family. Jennifer Kindert's watercolor illustrations are spectacular and vividly depict the people's feelings of sadness, anxiety, and desperation. She pays close attention to detail in the uniforms, buildings, equipment, and even currency, taking the readers back in time to a far-off place. Some of the illustrations take up an entire page, others only half, and some just a small portion of the page. They are varied and beautiful and bring the story to life. Realistic and vivid, dark and gloomy, accurately representing the sentiments of the time.

This book would be perfect for middle school classrooms that are learning about World War II. Though a picture book, the themes and content are deep and mature. The final two pages of the book include historical notes and photographs from the historic period from 1941-1945, providing great material for lessons and further research.

Purchase the book here.

15 national book awards including Moonbeam Children's Book Award, Foreword Reviews Book of The Year Award Gold Winner, Benjamin Franklin Award, CALA Best Book Award, and more.

Article: Massacre and Atrocities in Hong Kong during WWII

The Fall of Hong Kong