Grandfather's Journey, Written and Illustrated by Allen Say

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, Grandfather's Journey is the rich and touching account of author Allen Say's grandfather. I love stories about the past, especially when they are true, heartfelt tales like this one is. Traveling from Japan to America, Say's grandfather travels America's terrain, reveling in the differences between Japan and America. He marvels at the the farm fields, the desert, the towering mountains, and the industrialized cities. Settling in, Say's grandfather marries his childhood sweetheart and brings her to America, and the couple has a daughter. However, Say's grandfather's begins to long for his old friends and his old homeland. His wife, his daughter, and he return to Japan where their daughter falls in love and eventually has a son, Allen Say. A sincere sympathy emerged from me when I discovered that this family was affected by World War II and the destruction of their city. Say's grandparents lost their home. I didn't expect this to be part of the story, but this piece relays underlying wounds. Relaying the history isn't always positive. It's filled with challenged and struggles.

At the age of 16, Allen Say also immigrates to America. I found it interesting how Say connects even more with his grandfather now that he is in America. They share similar attachments and cross-cultural experiences. The simplicity of the second to last page stands in contrast with the rest of the books' illustrations, and I think Say may have done this on purpose. Only words are on this page-no pictures. It shows the inherent desire to be two places at once. No matter what, whether in Japan or America, there is a longing for the other. As Allen Say states, "The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other. I think I know my grandfather now." Although that one particular page didn't need a picture, the pictures included in the story are amazing. The pictures tell the story more than the words on the page. Say's brilliant use of watercolor paintings depict the grandfather's journey thoroughly. Each picture is framed and set apart from the text. Due to this layout, several of the pictures appear as snapshots or portraits- specific moments in time.

I'm sure few of our future students' grandparents immigrated to the United States, but this would be such a worthwhile book so students can begin to see the importance of the past and the importance in stories. One activity I might have students do would be interviewing their grandparents. They can learn what life was like for them when they were children. After all, we only have a limited time to spend with our grandparents. When someone passes, their stories go with them. Also, this book shows a new perspective of history because it tells the story of aJapanese man coming to America rather than the usual story we hear about European families immigrating to the United States. Students can compare and contrast immigration experiences faced by people from different countries. So many different directions and so many possibilities emerge from this story.