Pay in installments of $4.99 with
,
and
Shipping Estimate
USA
- USA
- CAN
- USA
- CAN
Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Aug 11 - Aug 16
Promo Codes Available:
For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15
Description
Barbed Wire BaseballMoss is a skilled author of historical narrative nonfiction for young readers; her tale is both well researched and well told. But its the visually stunning, sensitive illustrations by the hugely talented Shimizu that make the book a standout. New York Times Book Review Author Marissa Moss and illustrator Yuko Shimizus Barbed Wire Baseball is a picture book that movingly tells a true story set in a Japanese American internment camp in World War II.
“Moss is a skilled author of historical narrative nonfiction for young readers; her tale is both well researched and well told. But it’s the visually stunning, sensitive illustrations by the hugely talented Shimizu that make the book a standout.” —New York Times Book Review
Author Marissa Moss and illustrator Yuko Shimizu’s Barbed Wire Baseball is a picture book that movingly tells a true story set in a Japanese American internment camp in World War II.
During World War II, Japanese American baseball player Kenichi “Zeni” Zenimura was sent to an internment camp in the Arizona desert. But even behind barbed wire, Zeni refused to give up the game he loved.
With grit, determination, and a deep belief in the power of baseball, he carved a field from the dust and built a team that brought hope and dignity to thousands.
As a young boy, Kenichi Zenimura (Zeni) wanted to be a baseball player, even though everyone told him he was too small. He grew up to become a successful athlete, playing with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
But when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Zeni and his family were sent to one of several internment camps established in the U.S. for people of Japanese ancestry.
Zeni brought the game of baseball to the camp, along with a sense of hope, and became known as the “Father of Japanese American Baseball.”
A California Book Award Gold Medal Winner
California Reading Association’s Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards - Honor
Notable Children’s Books from ALSC
“Shimizu’s Japanese brush and ink illustrations, digitally layered with dusty colors suggestive of the arid relocation camp, are a visual feast, from the patterned swirls of battleship steam and desert dust, to the series of depictions of Zenimura in motion, to the rhythmic composition of the female detainees stitching the potato-sack uniforms.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Author Marissa Moss and illustrator Yuko Shimizu’s Barbed Wire Baseball is a picture book that movingly tells a true story set in a Japanese American internment camp in World War II.
During World War II, Japanese American baseball player Kenichi “Zeni” Zenimura was sent to an internment camp in the Arizona desert. But even behind barbed wire, Zeni refused to give up the game he loved.
With grit, determination, and a deep belief in the power of baseball, he carved a field from the dust and built a team that brought hope and dignity to thousands.
As a young boy, Kenichi Zenimura (Zeni) wanted to be a baseball player, even though everyone told him he was too small. He grew up to become a successful athlete, playing with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
But when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Zeni and his family were sent to one of several internment camps established in the U.S. for people of Japanese ancestry.
Zeni brought the game of baseball to the camp, along with a sense of hope, and became known as the “Father of Japanese American Baseball.”
A California Book Award Gold Medal Winner
California Reading Association’s Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards - Honor
Notable Children’s Books from ALSC
“Shimizu’s Japanese brush and ink illustrations, digitally layered with dusty colors suggestive of the arid relocation camp, are a visual feast, from the patterned swirls of battleship steam and desert dust, to the series of depictions of Zenimura in motion, to the rhythmic composition of the female detainees stitching the potato-sack uniforms.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Shipping Notes
- Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
- Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
- Delivery to the USA:
- Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
- If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
- We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
- Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
- To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
- Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 8 reviews
Sort
Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
An unexpected reading experience!
Format: Hardcover
Very unexpected novel! I went into it without any knowledge or prior information of what it was going to be about. Main character is not a person you would want to be friends. So when calamities happen to her it was hard for me to muster up much sympathy or compassion. It was more of “you had this coming, you deserve every miserable minute”. And boy, there were many! Some harder to believe than others. As I was reading, I first thought- I don’t want to keep this book, it’s not worth saving. But it developed to be definitely the type of story that sticks in your mind, you find yourself revisiting parts and characters and wondering why that happened and why did that person react a certain way. And to me that’s a book worth reading and keeping on my limited bookshelf. So I changed my opinion as I read to the end of the novel. It is certainly a book worthy of a neighborhood book group discussion. I am recommending and sharing my copy to family members and reading friends.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Beneath the perfect surface
Format: Kindle
Yesteryear completely caught me off guard in the best possible way. What begins as a fascinating look into social media influence, curated perfection, and historical living slowly unfolds into something far deeper and far more emotional than I expected.
The storytelling was incredibly well done, especially the way the author balanced the polished modern influencer world against the harsh realities of 1800s frontier life. The transitions between timelines and perspectives were seamless, and by the end, every piece fit together in a way that completely redefined the story.
What made this especially compelling for me was how layered Natalie’s character felt. Her upbringing, family expectations, faith, public image, and the pressure to maintain perfection all shaped the choices she made throughout the story. Rather than feeling one-dimensional, she felt like someone slowly buckling under the weight of everything she believed she was supposed to be.
The emotional impact of this book surprised me. Beneath the historical elements and social media commentary is a story about identity, appearances, family, and the toll that constant performance can take on a person and those around them.
This is one of those books where the less you know going in, the better the experience will be. I expected an entertaining premise, but I ended up with a story that lingered long after I finished the final page.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2026
★★★★★ 3
About that twist…
Format: Kindle
SPOILER ALERT!
The thing about big, improbable twists in stories is that the less time you have to think about them, the better their effect. For fans of the classic TV show The Twilight Zone, it has always been clear that the half-hour shows were far better and far more punchy and memorable than their rather sad hour-long cousins. And a book has far, far more time to contemplate a twist than a TV show.
Unfortunately, despite some pointed observations by the author (narcissistic people are pretty much unlikable, cruelty and brutality give power to weak men, abused children very often cling to their abusers), the big, improbable twist in Yesteryear almost completely sinks the story.
The twist is the same one that sank M. Night Shyamalan’s 2004 movie The Village, and it fares no better here. Yes, people can and do live off the grid. But avoiding every single sign of civilization for years on end? Even if you’re not in a commercial flight path, there are such things as helicopters and small private planes, especially in remote areas. Perhaps people rarely stray onto private land in the wilderness, but once in a while, stray they do. And when that wilderness home was once widely publicized? Excuse me, but people are going to look for it.
This is all not to say that Yesteryear was not entertaining - it was. I read it in one sitting. The characters, as unlikable and unreliable as they are, were well drawn. A couple of the children were also quite believable, but the author’s excuse for the rest of the kids being cyphers was that their mother saw them as cyphers as well. Okay, that’s fair, but knowing them better would have enhanced the story for the reader.
This is certainly a promising book. It held my attention and was very well-written. But that twist - well, it sank M. Night Shyamalan, too.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Good read
Format: Hardcover
This book has been getting a lot of hype, and I can understand why. First, it is a very unique storyline. Very different plot. Second, the main character, Natalie, is totally unlikable. In fact, I would honestly say I loathed her. She has no likeable qualities whatsoever. I guess that is what makes you want to keep reading, to find out what happens to this nasty woman. That said, I admit I was confused at the end. I am still not sure what exactly happened to Natalie, how the situation came about, and how 10 years went by when Natalie seemed to only be telling a few months time. Was she delusional? Did she have a mental breakdown? I wish it was more clear as to what exactly happened.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
★★★★★ 5
What did i spend so much time reading??
Format: Kindle
Spoilers ahead This book makes me angry. A misogynistic fable that holds women as mothers as inherently either deeply flawed or as if some fairy tale perfect mother exists. I found the early parts of the novel quite funny. Thinking this poor woman why do people expect such crazy standards? Also social media influencers somehow we are to take for reality? It is entertaining and that's why we want to spend our time looking at it. It is a fantasy world. Yet that is somehow turned from something comical and poignant dissolving into madness where there can be a 16 year old that can take away your children for what I'm not sure. Filming them? Having nannies? And then again the next bunch for living off the grid? I get that this isn't going for realism. It ultimately became for me this poorly written satire maybe? Obviously what started as comically intriguing for me descended into one totally crazy crazy turn to the darkest of places. I recognize this was supposed to be some sort of cracked fairytale where nearly everyone is evil and/or mental but 30 years for child abuse? This is like a nightmare not a thriller. The book demonstrates a hatred for mothers. Just awful! It made me crave for a totally unrealistic thriller. I came to be entertained and left pissed off.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026