June 8

Grandfather's Journey (1993)
By Allen Say

Sometimes a children's book can tell a story more clearly than a lengthy book written for adults.  Allen Say relates his grandfather's story with great simplicity.  As a young man, his grandfather leaves Japan, and immigrates to the United States.  After exploring the country from sea to shining sea, its cities and prairies, via railroad and on foot, he decides he likes San Francisco best, and settles there.  He returns to Japan to marry his childhood sweetheart and they in turn return to San Francisco, and they give birth to a daughter.  When the daughter is nearly grown up, her parents start missing Japan, and decide they will all return.  They decide to live in the city, where the daughter will feel more at home.  She marries, and has a son (the author).  The grandparents want to revisit the United States, but their home is destroyed in the 2nd World War, and they are unable to return, although the grandson eventually comes to the US and makes his home here.

The reader never learns the motivation behind grandfather's first trip, nor his decision to return to Japan (other than missing his home); in fact, we never even learn the grandparents' names.  Yet this beautifully illustrated story is likely typical for many immigrants.