Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

In this picture book, Allen Say tells the story of his grandfather's immigration to the United states from Japan. One of the biggest strengths of the book are the beautiful paintings Say uses to illustrate his grandfather's adventures. Another merit of the book is the way Say draws lines between his grandfather's life and his own. Both men grew up in Japan and moved to the United States at a young age. They both experienced nostalgia for their homeland and when they returned to Japan, both also missed their homes in America just as much as they had missed Japan. Because Say can relate to his grandfather's fond feelings for both America and Japan, he can say he truly knew his grandfather.