![]() Allen Say’s book Grandfather’s Journey is a beautiful tribute to his grandfather’s life. Through the lyrical writing and the beautiful illustrations, the reader is taken on a journey through time as Grandfather yearns for a place to belong. Grandfather’s longing is evident through the pages and illustrations, and the reader can feel his desire to see new places and experience new adventures, but the reader also gets the feeling that Grandfather does not necessarily feel comfortable in his own skin and where he belongs. He wears “European clothes for the first time” as he begins his journey to America. While in America, Grandfather meets new people and sees many beautiful sights, but it isn’t until he reaches California that he falls in love with his surroundings. After finding California, Grandfather returns to Japan and marries his love and brings her back to California where they have daughters, but as the daughters grow, Grandfather begins to reflect back on his childhood in Japan and feel a bit homesick. This homesickness is something I imagine immigrants feel quite often, and it is something that students from other countries will be able to relate to as it may mirror their own feelings. This story and the intense longing I felt while reading it helped me understand the turmoil many immigrants must go through – longing for two homes. Once Grandfather’s daughters have grown, they decide to move back to Japan where the daughters marry and begin families, but once again, Grandfather begins to miss the mountains and beaches of California. He remembers the beauty and adventures he had seen. Unfortunately war began and Grandfather was not ever able to return to California, but Allen Say, his grandson made the journey himself. I am not sure children will be able to understand the layers of this book and how the desires can be passed down generations, but many of them will be able to relate to not ever quite feeling like they fit in and missing family or friends they have had to leave behind. This book gives the reader a wonderful window into the desires and feelings immigrants live with on a daily basis, and the illustrations are amazing and help to deepen the meaning. This is a book I would use with older students as well as younger. It could be used to introduce a discussion or as a tie to a novel with a similar theme. Approximate Reading Level: 1st-4th grades
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