"Grandfather's Journey"

By Allen Say
Published in 1993

   I chose this book not only because it received a Caldecott award but also because the cover intrigued me. It seemed as if it was a small boy wearing a suit for a man with a bowler hat. Which aren't really in style anymore. So this story is told from the voice of the little boy. At first he tells of his grandfathers life until he is born and includes some of his life as well. It tells of his journey as an immigrant migrating to the United States. What I thought was interesting too was that his life when he came to America wasn't extremely difficult or filled with hardships like many of the books we read. I enjoyed this. He longs for his homeland though and with his own family now he goes back to Japan. They even touch on the War and how it destroyed his house. Now as a man the young boy visits were his grandfather did in America, and feels like he now understands his grandfather as a person. Always homesick for some place.
     For some age groups I would read this book aloud and then have the students share something they have similar with one of their family members (since not every may have grandparents). Also it could be a could time to share or have them go home and find out where their ancestry is from, their heritage. This book can also be used for a text connection if we are discussing World War II.