RESCUING JFK

Elliott and Kwai offer an illustrated nonfiction account for young readers of a real-life adventure involving a future president of the United States.

During World War II, hundreds of Solomon Islanders aided the Allied soldiers by gathering information of ship and troop movements. Three Solomon Islanders in particular—Allied-affiliated scouts Biuku Gasa (from Pasoro), Eroni “Aaron” Kumana (from Rannonga), and John Kari (from Rendova)—would play major roles in the life of a major historical figure. In November 1942, Kari helped rescue two American pilots whose planes had been shot down, and he met U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. John F. Kennedy when they encountered the patrol torpedo boat he commanded: PT-109. A year later, a Japanese destroyer hit PT-109 at high speed, slicing it in two; 11 of 13 crew members survived, but no American rescue boat was coming for them. After they swam to the nearest island, the injured Kennedy continued to look for rescuers that didn’t come, and eventually they had to swim to another island. There, Kumana and Gasa found them, but they didn’t initially realize that the strangers were American. It was only when Kennedy brought up fellow scout Kari that the pair understood who the men were, which led to a rescue. The book makes for a quick retelling of important historical facts that young readers are likely never to have encountered before, and Morgan’s grayscale illustrations of the various figures and setting are a pleasant accompaniment. Readers will find the timeline to be easy to follow due to the simple narrative structure, during which the scouts and crew members eventually come up with a plan and execute it. The chapters are short and to the point, but if readers do get lost, there’s a detailed chronology of events toward the end of the book to assist them and an illustrated explanation on the different kinds of boats featured in the story.

An informative and engaging bit of history with helpful imagery.