Written and Illustrated by Allen Say
Say, A. (1993). Grandfather's journey.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
In this story the author tells the story of his grandfather, who came from Japan to the United States but later returned to Japan. The author explains what his grandfather loved the most about Japan and loved the most about California. The book shares his grandfather's adventure in crossing the Pacific Ocean, riding on trains and riverboats, and walking across America. The pictures of the desert, wheat fields, cities, mountains and rivers show the scenes in America which stayed in his grandfather's memory. When his grandfather missed Japan, he returned to Japan, married his childhood sweetheart, and took her back to live in California. He raised his daughter in California but began to miss Japan. The scenes of Japan show his childhood village, mountains, rivers, and friends from his childhood. His grandfather bought a house in Yokohama, a city near his village so that his daughter's life in Japan would be similar to her city life in San Francisco. Allen Say is the son of this daughter, and Allen grew up listening to his grandfather's stories about California. Allen grew up in Japan but came to America at the age of 16. Allen explains in his book how he loves the mountains and rivers in Japan when he is in America but he misses America when he is in Japan. Allen is able to share his grandfather's love of two countries and has the same longing to be in two places at the same time!
Here is a photograph taken by photographer Wilhelm Burger taken in 1869.
"Village Near Yokohama" by Wilhelm Burger from Austria.
Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/pointsofview/themes/travel/yokohama/
Comprehension Questions
1. Who is telling the story?
2. Who wanted to leave Japan to see the world?
3. How long did it take the man to arrive in America?
4. What did the man see in America?
5. Who did the man bring to America?
6. Who was born in America?
7. Where did the family go then?
8. Who listened to the man's stories?
9. Who in that family lives in America now?
10. How is the writer of the book similar to his grandfather?
10. How is the writer of the book similar to his grandfather?
Activities
1. Have the children collect pictures of places they have visited and tell stories about their trips.
2. Ask the children to interview parents, grandparents, or other adults about their experiences.
3. Ask the children to compare living in a town to living in a city and explain their preferences.
4. Have the children think of reasons why people come to the United States from other countries.
5. Have the children research ticket prices for different ways to go to places they would like to visit.
6. Ask the children to draw pictures of their favorite features of where they live: streets, buildings, mountains,
rivers, beaches, and so on.
The discussion of why people come to the United States from other countries and the sharing of adult experiences with children center around the Saint Leo core value of respect. When children listen to adults and discuss other people's experiences, they learn to respect older people and understand what they have gone through. When children reflect on how difficult it might be to leave another country and come to the U. S., they encourages the children to respect someone who is from another country.
2. Ask the children to interview parents, grandparents, or other adults about their experiences.
3. Ask the children to compare living in a town to living in a city and explain their preferences.
4. Have the children think of reasons why people come to the United States from other countries.
5. Have the children research ticket prices for different ways to go to places they would like to visit.
6. Ask the children to draw pictures of their favorite features of where they live: streets, buildings, mountains,
rivers, beaches, and so on.
The discussion of why people come to the United States from other countries and the sharing of adult experiences with children center around the Saint Leo core value of respect. When children listen to adults and discuss other people's experiences, they learn to respect older people and understand what they have gone through. When children reflect on how difficult it might be to leave another country and come to the U. S., they encourages the children to respect someone who is from another country.
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