The section cited above discusses how on October 7, 1942, the train carrying the Takeis arrived at Camp Rohwer in Arkansas, one of ten Japanese internment camps opened during World War II. The family was assigned to a barrack, and then rode on a truck to get to their new home. George recalls being told by another boy that there were dinosaurs living in the woods. The Takeis found their cabin and went inside. It was very hot and very small, and they were given cots to sleep on. The walls were so thin it was easy to hear what was going on in the cabin next door. George's mother revealed that she had brought her sewing machine to make clothes for the children. She also sewed rugs and curtains to make the cabin more comfortable. The family began to get to know the other detainees, and George's father was elected to represent their small community as block manager to negotiate with the authorities, as he was bilingual, capable, and of the right age to represent young and old alike. He was even given a secretary, a young woman named Florence. The men banded together to build a walkway over an area that often flooded so people could move around the camp more easily.