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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
A visually stunning, incredible story of Grandfather's journeys across the sea.
At times beautiful and at times sad. This is an emotionally charged story of a person who has a foot in two countries.
Absolutely splendid.
At times beautiful and at times sad. This is an emotionally charged story of a person who has a foot in two countries.
Absolutely splendid.
The watercolor illustrations are striking. Not a very exciting book, but a beautiful one. Nice to see Japanese Americans represented.
This book is part historical fiction, part biography, part family story, and a completely beautiful read. Allen Say retells the experiences of his grandfather's travels around the world, and his eventual settlement in America from Japan. In America his grandfather longs for Japan, and moves back for a time. The book focuses on his love for the two countries, and his longing for one while in the other. The illustrations accompany the text to show his growing family and the beautiful landscapes of both California and Japan. Even though they were separated by miles of ocean, culture, and even a war, America and Japan were home for Allen's grandfather. Rather than being a story of "the grass is always greener," I think it shows how you can come to call two places home and carry a love for both. This book is a great way to introduce the themes of home and living in different countries to children.
The watercolors are beautiful, but the story is very depressing. But the watercolors of the riverboat and the mountainside make this a worthy read.
The watercolor paintings in this book were beautiful! The story is not the most uplifting but it is a story of a man with two homes that he loves very much. I imagine this is what many immigrants feel. It was a heartfelt story.
A beautiful reflection on family and home and identity (and beautiful illustrations to boot!)
Lovely illustrations (my favourites were Allen's grandfather in the desert and a wheat field) and an interesting tale of being torn between two cultures, but it didn't really interest me all that much.
Grandfather comes to America from Japan as a young man, and falls in love with the beauty and splendor of the United States, especially California, where he decides to live. However, he is homesick for his native land, so returns to Japan to take a wife and bring her back to California. Grandfather’s tug-of-war within himself, caught between two homes, continues for the rest of his life. Mr. Say, after growing up in Japan, remembers Grandfather’s stories and goes himself to America. Now he understands his Grandfather’s feelings.
This beautiful story is simply told but is evocative of so much and will resonate with many people. The struggle between the love for one’s homeland and the newfound love for the country one has emigrated to is real for many, especially today. Mr. Say’s beautiful paintings are snapshots of his Grandfather’s life, and show that Grandfather’s Journey was a well-deserved Caldecott medal winner in 1994.
The prose is very spare, but this complements the illustrations nicely, as it leaves a lot of room to think and discuss what is going on behind the images. In the image above for example, I would love to know what they thought or discussed as they paddled about in the boat.
These glimpses into another time make for excellent discussion points and could be a great way to introduce historical fiction to younger readers in a group setting. The text is simple enough for younger children to read independently. In sum, this is a gorgeous addition to any library.
This beautiful story is simply told but is evocative of so much and will resonate with many people. The struggle between the love for one’s homeland and the newfound love for the country one has emigrated to is real for many, especially today. Mr. Say’s beautiful paintings are snapshots of his Grandfather’s life, and show that Grandfather’s Journey was a well-deserved Caldecott medal winner in 1994.
The prose is very spare, but this complements the illustrations nicely, as it leaves a lot of room to think and discuss what is going on behind the images. In the image above for example, I would love to know what they thought or discussed as they paddled about in the boat.
These glimpses into another time make for excellent discussion points and could be a great way to introduce historical fiction to younger readers in a group setting. The text is simple enough for younger children to read independently. In sum, this is a gorgeous addition to any library.
The wonderful, well-illuminated journey of an immigrant man and his future family as they experience the many beautiful parts of Japan and America.