Grandfather's Journey (Say)

                                          

Say, Allen. Grandfather’s Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. ISBN 0395570352

PLOT SUMMARY
Allen Say expertly uses beautiful illustrations and thoughtful text to weave together a story based on his grandfather’s life. This biographical story begins with his grandfather’s journey from Japan to the United States as a young teenager and recounts his travels across the country. The story then follows his grandfather’s eventual return to Japan with a wife and daughter. As time goes on, Say gives the reader glimpses of his own time spent with his grandfather in Japan. In the end, Say seems destined to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps as he too sets off for the United States as a young man and truly comes to understand his grandfather’s constant longing to belong fully to both countries and cultures simultaneously.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Grandfather's Journey is a simple, unassuming story of a man who's heart belongs to two very different countries. Say manages to make a large impact with the combination of expressive, thoughtful illustrations and carefully chosen words.

There are surprising few words in the picture book dominated by intense artwork. Say's simple sentences carry intense emotion and multiple layers of meaning that may not be immediately recognizable to younger audiences. In the story, the bombing of Japan in World War II is eluded to. The resulting devastation of the bombing and the bombing’s impact on separating Say’s grandfather from the United States is all expressed in one sentence. Say expresses so much sorrow when he writes, "Bombs fell from the sky and scattered our lives like leaves in a storm." The story in not written in a traditional linear format, but instead works to convey the story of a man and family stuck between two cultures.

The book's Caldecott winning artwork is enchanting. Illustrations look like individual paintings, often juxtaposed across the page from each other in order to tell their own story. For example, at the beginning of the book a black and white portrait of Say's young grandfather in traditional Japanese dress is next to a full-color painting of his grandfather on a steamship, wearing much too large "European clothes". The grandfather's comfort in the first picture is contrasted by the second picture which expresses both the adventure and unfamiliarity. Besides the contrast in Western style clothing and traditional Japanese clothing, there is a large contrast between the landscapes of the United States and Japan. Each painting demonstrates the individuality of each person, culture, and country.

AWARDS
1994 Caldecott Winner

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews- “Lovely, quiet- with a tenderness and warmth”
Publisher’s Weekly- “a very personal tribute to his grandfather and a distillation of universally shared emotions”
School Library Journal- “Splendid, photoreal watercolors”

CONNECTIONS
Pair Granfather’s Journey with its natural continuation, the story of Say’s mother’s immigration to Japan.
Say. Allen. Tea with Milk. ISBN 9780547237473

Study the role of illustrator and author, with a specific focus on Allen Say. Some of the following books will provide specific insight into Say’s own work and life and other books will delve into the world of artists, authors, storytellers, and illustrators everywhere.
Say. Allen. Drawing From Memory. ISBN 9780545176866
Say. Allen. Emma’s Rug. ISBN 9780618335237
Say. Allen. The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice. ISBN 9780756968113
Say. Allen. Kamishibai Man. ISBN 9780618479542
Say. Allen. The Sign Painter. ISBN 9780395979747

Pair with another story of immigration, told through graphic novel.
Tan, Shuan. The Arrival. ISBN 9780439895293

Read a few books about immigrant experience of other Asian-American cultures through these books.
Korean: Choi, Yangsook. The Name Jar. ISBN 9780440417996
Vietnamese: Lai, Thanhha. Inside Out and Back Again. ISBN 9780061962783