Heroes
- Subject
- Asian American & Pacific Islander
- Age
- 3-5 years
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Pages
- 32
- Publisher
- Lee & Low Books
- Size
- 25.4 cm × 20.4 cm
- ISBN
- 9781880000502
A Japanese American boy learns about heroism from his father and uncle who served in the U.S. Army.
Donnie is tired of playing the bad guy every time he and his friends get together to play war. According to the other kids, Donnie should play the enemy-after all, as a Japanese American he looks like "them." Instead, Donnie wishes they could just play his favorite game, football.
When he argues that his family served in the U.S. Army, Donnie's friends laugh and dare him to prove it. But when he asks his father and Uncle Yosh for proof, they tell him that kids should play something else besides war. "Real heroes don't brag," Uncle Yosh says. "They just do what they are supposed to do."
Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, this intergenerational story explores how one family deals with the painful legacy of war and prejudice. In their powerful follow-up to the award-winning Baseball Saved Us, Ken Mochizuki and Dom Lee once again present young readers with American heroes they won't usually find in history books, but who they can always hold in their hearts.
About the creators
Ken MochizukiAuthor
Ken Mochizuki was a writer, journalist, and former actor who made his picture-book debut with Baseball Saved Us. He was also the author of several other award-winning picture books published by Lee & Low, including Passage to Freedom and Heroes. He passed away in September 2025.
Dom LeeIllustrator
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 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.
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What reviewers said
"Once again Mochizuki and Lee adroitly focus kids' attention on a pervasive social problem by giving it an individual face; they make their points in an age-appropriate fashion, neither trivializing the issues nor condescending to their audience. . . Mochizuki captures his protagonist's hurt, confusion and pride — emotions capably matched by Lee's atmospheric artwork."
"This book evocatively recreates a time when the war was still fresh in the minds of young parents, and ably shows how subtly prejudice was passed on to their children. But Heroes is also a tribute to the 442nd Regiment Combat Team, an all-Japanese-American regiment, and serves as a reminder of their important contribution."
"Mochizuki and Lee tell a moving picture-book story. . .. The strong, brown-shaded pictures show the pain of the outsider and his loneliness in the crowd."
"Dignified and effective."
"The beauty of Heroes lies in Mochizuki's ability to convey weighty ideas in a low-key text."
"This book has value beyond revealing historical details. It allows children to question what real heroism means."
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