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outspokenlibrarian 's review for:
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
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.