The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families

In 2012, I received the book, “The Mangrove tree” from Dr. Gordon Sato. It is a beautifully written tribute to a great man, Dr. Gordon Sato. But what is missing is the story behind Dr. Gordon Sato’s endeavor to help Eritrea, the poorest nation in Africa out of poverty and become self sufficient.In February 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 forcefully removed all person of Japanese ancestry from their homes. Citizens were reclassified as enemy aliens while”Due Process” guaranteed under our Constitution was violated.Gordon Sato, together with his parents and family, was imprisoned at Manzanar, Ca behind barbwires, watchtowers and guarded by US soldiers.While he was imprisonment at Manzanar and afterwards, Gordon Sato wanted something good and positive to come out of his injustice of Manzanar. I am Japanese American and I was 20 years old when I too was imprisoned at Manzanar. Because there was a shortage of teachers, I took 24 units of educational courses to become a provisional credential teacher to augment the Caucasian credentials staff. I was selected to teach Physics and Gordon Sato was in my Physics class. It was 50 years later when Manzanar was closed, Dr. Gordon Sato called me on the phone and said he wanted to come and see me. At our meeting, Dr. Gordon Sato said that he was on a Project t Eritrea, Africa. He called his project “Manzanar Project.” Using his scientific knowledge and his Manzanar experience, his goal was to help Eritrea out of poverty. He said he just wanted to thank me for inspiring him to get a college education. I was humbled by his two words “thank you.”At the time, I did not know what Dr. Gordon Sato had accomplished since Manzanar.In 2011, I read short news article stating that Eritrea had declined further Foreign Aid from the United States. I wrongly concluded that Dr. Gordon Sato had used US Foreign Aid to accomplish his amazing results. Dr. Gordon Sato used his own money which he had received for discovering a drug to help cure colon cancer. He risked his own life to travel to a rescue a beleaguered nation. Gordon Sato has realized his dream to prove he was more than someone who was unjustly imprisoned at Manzanar for looking like the enemy.But Dr. Gordon Sato accomplished one other amazing thing. He was able the change one aspect of the Eritrean culture. In planting mangroves, Men used shovel and the women had to do otherwise. Dr. Gordon Sato laid down the law: If women wanted to work and get paid for planting Mangrove trees, they had to use shoves like the men. Now, men and women work side by side as equals. We only have to look at “Women Suffrage” in our country to measure the accomplishment that Dr. Gordon Sato had achieved.The story is about a man with great humility has shown that one can overcome adversity and injustice through determination and through knowledge.

On rare occasion will I give five stars, but I must give credit where it is due. The Mangrove Tree is a remarkable book with Caldecott-worthy illustrations. It is well written and informative, and the story is a powerful example of how one person, Dr. Gordon Sato, can change the lives of many people (and sheep and goats too). Moreover, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book goes to The Manzanar Project, whose aim is to wipe out poverty and hunger.The book's layout is particularly well done, and Ms. Roth and Ms. Trumbore employ an interesting technique: On the page to your left, you will find a "House That Jack Built"-type summary of the story as it unfolds. This cleverly illustrates how everything links together, from the planting of seedlings to the men and women who tend to them so they may become the trees that provide sustenance for so many. I found it especially fascinating to learn how mangrove trees have aided the fishing industry in Hargigo, a village in the African country of Eritrea.The pictures in the Afterword "pull you in" and allow you to experience the beauty created by the men and women who plant and care for the mangrove trees. The glossary helps children both sound out and make sense of challenging yet important words. And several websites are listed so you can learn more about Dr. Sato and The Manzanar Project. We certainly need more quality books like this one. I look forward to reading other stories by this dynamic duo.Chris Karim[...]

Wonderful book for students. I plan on sharing it with my entire class. I love that the book tells a story and has an ongoing poem that builds with each turn of the page. It allows me to teach non-fiction and poetry at the same time. Great for the classroom.

Very educational for child and parent--written in two ways for a younger and older audience, to teach about a man and a village with a fantastic ecological project helping the environment and the people

I learned about this book through my granddaughter who is in Dr. Sato's daughter's 1st grade class. I ordered it for granddaughter and of course we all read it. Very well written and the art work is beautiful.

I used this book for a lesson on helping the world by helping ourselves.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book for young and old readers, alike. A true family read that educates.

Inspiring.....mangroves are the future.

I love this book, was delivered a bit late, but have got it and love it.

Good picture book for primary school children. This non -fiction makes the children realize how scientific mind helps to solve the real life problem and this realization would help many to feel science to relate to them, not just a subject in a classroom at school.