I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011

Tarshis, Lauren, Ball, Georgia and Chalik, Chris (illus.)

I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011: The Graphic Novel

August 5, 2025 by Graphix

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Ben, Harry, and their mother visit Shogahoma, Japan after the death of Harry's father in a car accident. He had been in the military, and survived all manner of horrific experiences, so Ben is taking his death especially hard. He's glad to be staying with his father's uncle, but finds that being in Japan makes him think of his father frequently, where at home he had been more successful in not thinking about him. When an earthquake occurs, Ben's fast thinking keeps him and Harry safe under a bed, but the tremor is so extreme that his uncle wants to evacuate immediately. The family piles quickly into their car, but do not get very far before it is swept away by water. The others are pulled through open doors, but Ben is trapped. Thinking about his father's advice, he assesses the situation and manages to kick out the windshield to escape. He is swept along with debris, but comes across his uncle's cat, Nya. When Ben realizes that the water is beginning to recede, he fears the water will drag him out to the ocean, so he manages to jump onto a tree with Nya, and to hold on. Devastation is widespread, but Ben manages to get to a local school, where he encounters Dr. Sato, whom his brother had visited when he had a mishap. Even though Ben doesn't speak Japanese, he is put in charge of watching some of the younger children who have come to the school without their parents. Eventually, the rest of his family shows up. The uncle's house is badly damaged, but he wants to stay in Shogahama. Ben returns home, and is able to deal better with the death of his father, since his memory was helpful to him when he was trying to survive. 

It's hard to imagine just how a tsunami works, and this graphic novel representation makes things a little clearer. While the devastation is clearly shown, and there is an inkling that Ben saw a lot of things he would like to forget, there isn't much gore on page. This is good if you want younger readers to enjoy this. The pictures also show how different Japanese houses are, which is not something I picked up from reading the novel version. 

The end notes add a lot of information about tsunamis, as well as the Fukushima nuclear disaster that was caused by the tsunami.  

The story is well developed, and Ben's grappling with his father's sudden death does work well, since he thinks about some of the difficult situations his father talked about while he was in the military. Ben manages to put these lessons to good use, and also feels that his father will always be with him in spirit. 

There aren't a lot of books about tsunamis, but I've read enough to know that if I am ever near the sea and there's an earthquake, I am heading for higher ground as soon as possible. Pair this with Philbrick's Wild Wave, especially if there is a reader who isn't quite understanding how the children in that fantastic adventure book get moved so far inland.