Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. The illustrations were great. This book sheds a light on the darker side of US history and how injustice is still prevalent today as it was back then. It’s sad that people get caught up in the craziness or stand by and do nothing as incidents like in the book happen all the time.

The illustrations in this book are stunning, but the topic is dark. Most people probably don't know about early racism against Chinese people, or the massacre that is the subject of this book, but it is important to learn about our history to make sure we don't repeat it. Even when tensions were high, justice was out of reach for the innocents who lost their lives. This would be a book that children can discuss with their parents and teachers, covering topics like how life is different today and what could have been done better.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is a great way to make this part of US, specifically Los Angeles history accessible to younger audiences. This wasn’t a part of history I’d heard before, but sadly it doesn’t surprise me given other historical massacres on top of American responses to Chinese (and other Asian) people in 2020 and since due to Covid-19. The art really added to the intensity of the story. Now I want to do some more reading on this event.

Great book for any school library. This book handles the 1871 LA Chinatown Massacre with grace and facts. The illustrations fit the story without being gory, making it suitable for elementary and middle school libraries. There are names and short looks into the lives of people who were killed, helping to humanize those who were murdered.

At the end of the picture book story is a summary of the reports of the massacre and a bibliography for further reading.

Recommended age: 4-6th grade due to the subject

This honest review was given in exchange for an advanced copy of the book.