Reviews - Grandfather's Journey

117 reviews for:

"The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." The author tells the story of his grandfather's life and the many journeyes he made across the ocean spending time in the two places he loved: Japan and California. Amazing artwork that makes me feel as though I've been on a journey and that these illustrations are fragments of my own memories. Must see.

kmiranda7's review

This non-fiction narrative tells the story of a man relating to his grandfather. It ties together their native country of Japan and how they both came to love being in California. The narrator tells the story of how his grandfather first took in the experiences of California, and how he had loved it as much as he loved being in Japan with his family. The narrator decides he must visit California for himself and follows a path that is very similar to that of his grandfather. The book contains beautiful and realistic paintings and captures the beauty of both California and Japan.

seattlefraggle's review

5.0

This book brought tears to my eyes. Evocative and emotional story, told very simply. There is a great deal of heart in this tale of feeling torn between two different cultures.

dearnilima's review

4.0

I love this kind of book where there are so many illustrations and the pictures say more than the lines. Such a short book but it completely represents the homesickness.❤️

christinemomo's review

5.0

adventurous reflective slow-paced

jesy's review

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Very relatable in that you can miss two places at once and home is always somewhere you can go back to when ready.

grrrlonfyre's review

4.0

Allen Say’s grandfather lived a rich life but longed for his birthplace, Japan, after he had moved to California. The grandfather makes many friends without prejudice and marvels at mountains in America (11), but it is not enough to quell his desire to be surrounded by the “mountains and rivers of his childhood” (20). He was never able to see San Francisco again once he had moved back to Japan. However, he had instilled a sense of wanderlust in his grandson, our talented author, and had lived a remarkable life. Allen Say imparts, “I think I know my grandfather now” (32) because they share the same paradoxical feelings of longing and love towards both countries. “The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other” (31).