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Grandfather's Journey
SAY, Allen. Grandfather's Journey. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1993, 32p. ISBN: 0758700504 (hc). $16.95.
In this portrayal of the immigrant experience through watercolor paintings, award-winning author and illustrator Allen Say recounts his grandfather's journey from Japan to America and the experience of being torn between the love of two countries. Say’s grandfather travels through America as a young man and eventually settles down in San Francisco to get married and raise a family. After his daughter is grown, he moves the family back to Japan, and after being there awhile, begins to miss California. The theme of living in one place and wanting to be in another, recurs in the life of the author.
Allen Say was born in Yokohama, Japan and dreamed of becoming a cartoonist from an early age. At the age of twelve, he apprenticed with well-known cartoonist Noro Shinpei, who taught him to draw and paint. After completing high school in the United States, he studied art and architecture briefly and became a commercial photographer. He has been a full time writer and illustrator since the late 1960s and has published seventeen books as a writer illustrator and numerous other works as illustrator. His works often deal with the lives of Asian Americans and the search for identity from a multicultural perspective. He has received numerous awards and recognition, mostly for his illustrations, from the American Library Association, New York Times, and Boston Globe. He was awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1994 for his illustrations in Grandfather’s Journey.
This is a beautiful book - the watercolor paintings are exquisite - the story is authentic and personal - and the narrative simple and direct. All the reviews have been positive for this book recommended for children ages 4 through 8. While Say’s talent and sincerity are truly admirable, the child-friendliness of Grandfather’s Journey is questionable due to the third person narrative style, generally serious tone, and complexity of emotions being depicted. While children may be able to enjoy the beauty of the art work, will they be able to relate to the feelings suggested in the story? Young children who need to feel an emotional connection with characters in a story in order to get into it, will find difficulty in relating to Grandfather’s Journey. Judging from library holdings, both locally and internationally, the book continues to occupy a position of worth in many library collections even fifteen years after its debut.
A possible explanation for the subdued and mature tone of Grandfather’s Journey was revealed in a 2002 NPR interview when Say mentioned reading to a group of children and finding it a terrifying experience. When reminded by the interviewer that he writes books for children, Say confessed that he is a very shy man and that children can be brutally honest. In Say’s creative process, stories begin as a series of images to which text is later added. These comments are revealing of Say’s approach to narrative which holds readers somewhat at a distance and story as a kind of museum piece.
In spite of this traditional approach to writing for children, Grandfather’s Journey remains a ground-breaker in the canon of children’s literature for the sense of realism and authenticity it brings to the depiction of Asian Americans. Since the publication of Grandfather’s Journey, writers and illustrators of works featuring Asian immigrants or Asian Americans have combined Say’s approach to illustration with stories that appeal more directly to the sensibilities and emotions of children. My Name is Yoon is the story of a young Korean immigrant girl struggling to maintain a sense of independence while learning to write her name in English. Children will identify with Yoon’s defiance as she chooses names for herself such as “cat” or “cupcake” in name writing exercises. Yoon’s sense of humor and flights of fantasy enable her to cope with her situation and she eventually find empowerment through it. Another story featuring an Asian immigrant in America is Oranges on Gold Mountain. The story takes place during a drought in China in which a young Chinese boy, Jo Lee, is sent to America to support his family. A homesick young boy, Jo Lee works hard to send money to his family and dreams of bringing them to America. Through the help of his spirit guide, Jo Lee accomplishes miracles for his family and manages to stay connected from a distance. The child’s desire to be reunited with family is one that will resonate with children everywhere.
Grandfather’s Journey is a classic of children’s literature and therefore highly recommended for all children’s collections. Originally published in 1993, it is currently still in print and available in hardcover and paperback. Retail price for the Follettbound edition with an extra durable binding and cover is $25.51.
Although Grandfather’s Journey may not be considered an entertaining story, it is an important work for children because of its cultural context and realistic portrayal of Japanese Americans. As an Asian American writer and illustrator, Allen Say is an inspiring creator and role model for youth of all races and ethnicities who desire to pursue an original creative vision.
Submitted in April 2008 by Eileen Uchima, LIS Student, University of Hawai’i at Manoa
References:
- NPR (National Public Radio). “Interview: Allen Say discusses his new children's book, based on the experience of Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II,” Weekend Edition Sunday, 2002. Available from Literature Resource Center database. Accessed 7 April 2008.
- Partridge, Elizabeth. Oranges on Gold Mountain. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2001.
- Recorvits, Helen. My Name Is Yoon. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003.
- Highland Park Elementary School. Highland Park 2nd Graders Interview Japanese American Author Online. Austin, TX: 2002. Available online. Accessed 7 April 2008.
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