Book Description

Spring had finally come and everyone in the village was happy, despite being poor - everyone except the miserly landlord. Mumbling and grumbling, he sat all alone eating a bowl of cherries and glaring as the villagers sang and danced in the meadow. Then, quite by accident, he swallowed a cherry pit. The pit began to sprout. Soon the landlord was the wonder of the village - a cherry tree was growing on top of his head! What happened to the cherry tree and to the wicked landlord is a favorite joke in Japan. Allen Say tells the story with wit and vitality, and his beautiful drawings complement this classic Japanese tale. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My daughter and I love this book.
My three-year-old daughter and I happened across Under the Cherry Blossom Tree by Allen Say at our local library. It was different from any other kids' book we had read--strange, funny, and maybe a little disturbing. (Face it. We're talking about an old man with a tree growing out of his head.) But because of the humor, the beautiful illustration, and the poetically just ending, it soon became our favorite.

One problem was that the library wanted it back. The other problem was that it was out of print.

You won't know just how happy I was to find that Under the Cherry Blossom Tree had been re-printed until you read this book for yourself. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Home becomes elusive in this story about immigration and acculturation, pieced together through old pictures and salvaged family tales. Both the narrator and his grandfather long to return to Japan, but when they do, they feel anonymous and confused:"The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." Allen Say's prose is succinct and controlled, to the effect of surprise when monumental events are scaled down to a few words: "The young woman fell in love, married, and sometime later I was born." The book also has large, formal paintings in delicate, faded colors that portray a cherished and well-preserved family album. The book, for audiences ages 4 to 8, won the 1994 Caldecott Medal. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Grandfather's lifelong journey
Allen Say tells the story of his own grandfather, who was born in Japan, raised a family in California, and returned to Japan, where Say was born. The text is very simple, as are the illustrations. The story is quite touching as the grandfather ages, and can never return to his beloved second home, because of WWII. Cultural differences, such as dress, are shown, as is the unchanging importance of family and tradtion.The author also moved to California as a young man, and now understands even more about his grandfather. This is liked by children 7-9, and adults will appreciate it on their own level. After your child reads this book, I recommend Allen Say's book, "Tree of Cranes."

-A poignant story of the immigration experience
Allen Say's book is a sensitive and poignant story of a Japanese man who came to explore America around the turn of the century. Enraptured by the beauty of the country, he brings his bride to California and proceeds to build his life there. At times, however, he grows wistful for his homeland and longs to return. Finally, the desire to return to to his homeland overcomes him and he goes back to the small village where he was born. The years pass, his children grow up and have children, and he begins to long for the beauty of his second home, so he plans a trip. A war errupts, however, and he is never able to revisit the United States. Beautifully illustrated and sensitively told, Grandfather's Journey demonstrates the strong emotions evoked by one man's love for two countries and two cultures. The story also demonstrates that it is possible to love two countries equally well and to discover taht as soon as you are in one, you long for the other. The book also presents a refreshing retelling of Japanese-American relations. The book raises an awareness of the immigrant experience in a tone that is both simple and subtle.

great book
As part of a summer course I am taking at WV State University I would like to review this book. It is a great book for a teacher to use. It could be used with the following themes: grandfathers, countries, homesickness and loss. The pictures are beautiful and so is the story.

Caldecott Medal winner
The book Grandfathers Journey is a good children's book because the pictures are very colorful and the words are very descriptive.
The narrator, the main character's grandson, is telling about how his grandfather traveled the world, and that he liked California the best of all. He staid there, and met his grandmother, got married and had a son. But he had longed for his home back in Japan. So he moved with his wife to Japan. After awhile he started missing California, and went back,then he started going back and fourth. Then he died in Japan.

One of the Best Children¿s Book Ever
Grandfathers Journey is an awesome kids book. I gave it four stars because it was very good and unlike most children's books it was not very predictable. The book had extremely good pictures in it. It was a very god choice for a Caldecott award. The book was good for people from ages 3 - 83. Even the little history in it was accurate. All in all, the book was surprisingly good. ... Read more

Book Description

An American sailor courts a young Japanese woman and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An excellent book for multicultural classrooms
"How My Parents Learned To Eat" presents Japanese and American cultures in a story. The readers read about the cultural values through a little girl's first person narrative. From her telling, the readers will understand Japanese customs in its cultural context, such as bowing for greeting and drinking soup from the bowl. These concepts may be foreign or even funny to Americans who are unfamiliar Japanese culture. The author, however, successfully weave elements from both Ameriacn and Japanese cultures into the story. The respect for both Japanese and American cultures is also evident in the book. Not only did the mother (Japanese) want to learn the Western way of eating, but the father (American) is also willingly to learn the Japanese way of eating. So, in the end of the story, the little girl says again, "That's why at our house some days we eat with chopsticks and some days we eat with knives and forks" (p. 32).

Wise and muted, simple and understanding
The author of this Reading Rainbow Selection is wise; she knows how eating styles and habits can separate people and be inhibiting. The narrator recalls how her parents met: a white American sailor and a Japanese woman from the port city of Yokohama. The girl tells the reader that some days, in her house, they eat with chopsticks, and on some days with knives and forks. In the clear, muted watercolors, the reader finds her eating with chopsticks with a rice cooker on the first page, and eating with a knife and fork with a toaster on the last. Somewhat like O. Henry's story, The gift of the Magi, the sailor is too embarrassed to eat with Aiko, since he cant use chopsticks. And Aiko is frightened to eat with John, for she has never used a fork. But the port call is ending in a few weeks, so both rush to learn the other's ways, and an eating date is finally arranged. Love conquers all.

THE TABLE OF BROTHERHOOD OR THE FAMILY TABLE
This story is narrated by a bright little girl who describes how her parents met and adapted to one another's cultures. A bright, beautiful child, the girl is blond like her American father and has beautiful Asian features she inherited from her Japanese mother. She tells the story of how they came to sit at the family table.

An American sailor meets a woman in Japan and is instantly smitten. Their attraction is mutual; however each worries about being able to adapt to the other's culture. The sailor learns to eat with chopsticks and the woman in turn learns to eat with a knife, fork and spoon. She approaches her grandfather, a kind, scholarly man who teaches her the British way of handling western utensils. Still she worries because her finace is American.

They meet again; their transcultural love shows they really have more common grounds than differences. Each is moved by the other's willingness to learn the other's culture and the results are heartwarming indeed.

Their daughter joins them and all readers at the Table of Brotherhood which once again proves that people really have more in common than they do differences.

This is such a wonderful book. I love it! I think it belongs in all homes and classrooms because it is an excellent example of cultural harmony and pride.

Literary and culinary masterpeice...
We thoroughly enjoyed this captivating tale of 2 young people over coming obstacles and finding true love. Honestly we couldn't put down this compelling page turner. Were we the only ones that were scared that John and Aiko wouldn't be together in the end? Thank you Ina Friedman for showing us that a good book can still be written.

A wonderful message with no preaching
A bi-racial child tells the story of how her Japanese mother and American father met, fell in love, struggled to understand each other's ways, and finally married. It's a wonderful portrait of diversity, showing children that superficial differences in cultures don't really mean much and shouldn't get in the way of people appreciating each other. But just as important to me is the fact that this is one of the few children's books I know of that shows adults falling in love in a realistic way - no fairy tale, love at first sight kind of thing, but a picture of love growing as two people learn more about each other. Those two qualities - its appreciation of cultural diversity and its honest portrait of love - make it a little gem. ... Read more

Book Description

At home in San Francisco, May speaks Japanese and the family eats rice and miso soup and drinks green tea. When she visits her friends' homes, she eats fried chicken and spaghetti. May plans someday to go to college and live in an apartment of her own. But when her family moves back to Japan, she soon feels lost and homesick for America. In Japan everyone calls her by her Japanese name, Masako. She has to wear kimonos and sit on the floor. Poor May is sure that she will never feel at home in this country. Eventually May is expected to marry and a matchmaker is hired. Outraged at the thought, May sets out to find her own way in the big city of Osaka. With elegant watercolors reminiscent of Grandfather's Journey, Allen Say has created a moving tribute to his parents and their path to discovering where home really is. The accompanying story of his mother and her journey as a young woman is heartfelt. Vividly portraying the graceful formality of Japan, Tea with Milk effectively captures th ... Read more

Reviews (6)

She is me
I had the occasion to see the original of the cover painting. A needle shot through my heart. I am a Japanese citizen, my mother tongue definitely Japanese, but I was brought up in the States until I was 9. When I came back, I was just so occupied to adapt and didn't realize that I was considerably lonely and uncomfortable. Worse, my parents' did not realize the fact that Japan was a new place for me, since for them, it had been their home land. Living in different places on the globe accordingly to my father's work did not end with this; we went as far as South Africa. I am now permanently in Japan, having living here for almost 15 years, but still cannot say it is my home. And there still isn't any specific place that I can call "home". I like to believe in the notion of home and belonging presented in this book, and to be able to find the strength that the girl had in breaking her way out to live as "herself" and "make a home" for herself.

Megan and Aarti's Beautiful Review
TEA WITH MILK is about a young girl who lives in San Fransisco.When she was a young lady she went to Japan with her parents.She did not like sitting on her legs.Soon her parents wanted her to date a bank loner and she did not want to.Then she went to the city in Japan.She got a job there and got married. We loved TEA WITH MILK. I hope we get that good like Allen Says books.They are very evocative.

Biased, discriminating, and unflattering view of Japan
Some people probably enjoy the story of a young girl standing up to what is presented to readers as a bizarre and repressive culture. However the book offers a biased, discriminating, and unflattering picture of life in Japan from the point of view of a young woman who was raised in America and apparently resents having been forced to move. She makes no effort to understand the cultural differences between the countries and completely fails to acknowledge the things that make Japan fascinating. Another reader concluded that May and Joseph finally "decide to make a home for themselves and adopt Japan by choice". The truth is they never adopted Japan but decided to stay there anyway.

Having lived in Japan for most of my adult life, I was quite shocked when my daughter brought this book home from school. She was born in Tokyo and we were living there until recently. Pretty pictures do not compensate for a story that misrepresents Japanese culture and glorifies a narrow-minded girl.

Wonderfully illustrated!!
I just read this book for the first time today and I was blown away by the illustrations. The story is not only touching and very thought-provoking, as well as true, but the illustration bring to the story a totally fresh and realistic view. Mr. Say is both a talented author and illustrator. I was so captivated by the realism in the drawings and the detail that is paid to the face of the main character, who you come to find out is in some way related to him (I don't want to spoil the whole story, even if it is just a children's book). By far this book is a great read and an excellent buy!

Caught between cultures
An important theme in Tea With Milk is the fact that as people move between two cultures they often do not feel completely comfortable in either one. May's parents return to Japan because they are homesick. I would guess that they are not as Japanese as they would have been had they not lived in the U. S. Their pushing May to be so traditional could be the result of their attempt to reassimilate. May, of course, experiences most deeply the pain of immigration, and even Joseph, Say's father, is adopted, raised in Shanghai, and working in Japan. Joseph, in fact, best expresses the characters' dilemmas when he says that "home isn't a place or a building that's ready-made and waiting for you, in America or anywhere else". May and Joseph then decide to make a home for themselves and adopt Japan by choice. I found this book more positive and optimistic than Grandfather's Journey where Say's grandfather never seems to reconcile himself to living in either the U.S or Japan and remains saddened, caught between the cultures. Even the title Tea With Milk demonstrates some assimilation on the part of the parents. In a country that drinks tea plain, they drink it in the style of western countries and Allen Say states at the end of the book that that is the way he prefers his tea too. Hopefully, he has found some comfort in defining what he likes from both cultures as well. ... Read more

Book Description

As a young Japanese boy recovers from a bad chill, his mother busily folds origami paper into delicate silver cranes in preparation for the boy's very first Christmas. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Read it quietly
This autobiographical story of author Allen Say's discovery of Christmas is gentle and beautiful. A little boy in Japan (Say) wasn't supposed to play near the neighbor's carp pond, but he did, and fell in! Mother was a little mad at him, but she was preoccupied with making origami cranes. She put them on a tree that she brought in from the garden, and explained to her puzzled son that this was a Christmas tree. (She had lived in California as a girl.) The boy asked for and received a Samurai kite as a gift. He never forgot that day, because it was the first time he ever heard about Christmas.

This lovely story introduces children to a traditional Japanese family and to a child who experiences two cultures. The illustrations are quite unique and are almost shiny. The simple text is easy to read and children from 6-8 love this book.

Wonderful Illustrations, Good & Meaningful Story
I loved this book enough to, in pre-Amazon days, put in two special orders (both failed) through Crown Books and finally, after two years, find a children's specialty book store that could get it for me. It is the story of a small boy learning to obey his mother as well as the story of his first Christmas. The book's strength is its astonishing illustrations. The luminous pictures of the family's Japanese home, the small pine tree with the silver origami cranes and candles, and the emotion on the face of the little boy captivate my son, who is not yet two and a half. Even at his age, which is much younger than this book is intended for, he really responds to the poetic text, the relationship between the boy and his mother, his struggle to obey his mother and deal with her disapproval of his misbehavior, and the beauty of the tree of cranes. This is a peaceful and gentle text, and I am grateful that I can finally read my son this story that both helps to build his character and exposes him to the beauty and grace of Japanese form. ... Read more

Book Description

Lazy Taro gets his comeuppance. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Used as a Thematic Unit!
I loved this book so much that I developed a Thematic Unit around it. The book has some of the most outstanding pictures one has ever seen. Through these pictures we get to see Japan's culture, customs, and landscape. The story is great too. Through this book I taught Reading, English, Math, Social Studies, Science, Art, and used the internet to go on a field trip. This is a wonderful book and keeps the reader guessing. Enjoy!

Very fun, even for older kids.
My son's third grade class has been studying Japan. They had a "Japan Day" with lots of Japanese activities. His teacher asked me to read this book to the class. I hadn't read it before and only one child had heard it. They loved it. I have come right home and am purchasing the book for our "library" right now. Highly recommended!

GREAT FOLK TALE AND FUNNY TOO!!!!
This is a very classic story from Nagoya region, I believe. Taro was as lazy as he can be. He wants to do nothing but laying on the tatami-mats and sleeping where he received his nickname, Three-Year Nap Taro. Pictures and story are full of Japanese culture and your children would like the twisted ending to learn being lazy is NOT good. ... Read more

Book Description

When Allison tries on the red kimono her grandmother has sent her, she is suddenly aware that she resembles her favorite doll more than she does her mother and father. When her parents try to explain that she is adopted, her world becomes an uncomfortable place. She becomes angry and withdrawn. She wonders why she was given up, what her real name is, and whether other children have parents in faraway countries. Allison's doll becomes her only solace until she finds a stray cat in the garden and learns the true meaning of adoption and parental love. ... Read more

Book Description

Luke and his father, who is disgusted by the tourists surrounding the once secluded lake of his childhood, hike deeper into the wilderness to find a "lost lake" of their own. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A boy and his father search together for the Lost Lake
There is a lot happening in the periphery of "The Lost Lake," which is written and illustrated by Allen Say.A young boy comes to live with his dad in the city one summer.We assume that the boy's parents are divorced and that he is an only child, and we might even make assumptions as to what state or country is the setting for the story, but those are really mere guesses.What we do know is that the father in this story works in his room from morning to night and often on weekends.Not much of a talker in the first place, the boy's father does not talk at all when he gets busy.The boy says little either, spending all his time reading all of the books he brought and getting tired of watching television.Then one morning the boy starts cutting out pictures from old magazines, taking pictures of mountains and lakes, where people are fishing and canoeing, and pinning them up in his room.His father notices the display and when the young boy worries that he has marked up the wall, his father only comments that he was going to repaint the room anyway.But, again, there is more going on here than meets the eye.

On Saturday morning the dad wakes up the boy early in the morning and announces that they are going camping.With new hiking boots, a big backpack, and a knapsack, they head off on a long drive.The father announces that they are going to the Lost Lake, a special place that he went with his own father many years ago.For a whole week they are going to sleep outside and catch their own fish to eat.However, when they get to the lake they discover it is now the "Found" Lake because there are dozens of people camping, fishing, swimming, and doing other fun things.The little boy does not mind camping there with all those people around them, but the father does and they continue their quest for a new Lost Lake.

Of course finding the Lost Lake is but a metaphor for a parent and child who are seeking a way to reconnect.It is hard not to see the allegorical dimensions of Say's tale, especially for those of us who could not survive a single night sleeping under the stars let alone an entire week.The chief charm for Say's story and his watercolor illustrations is that he shows us rather than tells us this tale, and the silence that comes the end makes us realize how much things have changed from the silence that opened the story.Ultimately, this is a story not so much for children in such situations, but rather for their parents.

Found Treasure
As a fan of Say's book "Grandfather's Journey", I am surprised that it took me so long to dip into Say's other wonderful books!"The Lost Lake" is a heartwarming tale of a father/son camping trip.Along the way the pair discover new things, both in nature and in one another.Say's well written story makes each of the son's emotions distinct and identifiable to readers of all ages: boredom, anticipation, excitement, disappointment, exhaustion and contentment.This book is an excellent read for children in the third grade and older.I plan to read it aloud to my fourth grade students to start an expedition-style math unit.I am certain it will become a popular book on our classroom book shelf! ... Read more

Book Description

As a girl, Alice loved to dance, but the rhythms of her life offered little opportunity for a foxtrot, let alone a waltz. World War II erupted soon after she was married. Alice and her husband, along with many other Japanese Americans, were forced to leave their homes and report to assembly centers around the country. Undaunted, Alice and her husband learned to make the most of every circumstance, from their stall in the old stockyard in Portland to the decrepit farm in the Oregon desert, with its field of stones. Like a pair of skilled dancers, they sidestepped adversity to land gracefully amid golden opportunity. Together they turned a barren wasteland into a field of endless flowers. Such achievements did not come without effort and sacrifice, though, and Alice often thought her dancing days were long behind her. But as her story testifies, life is full of changes . . . In this striking book, Allen Say introduces readers to the remarkable story of the life of a woman whose perseverance and resilience serve as an inspirational reminder that dreams can be fulfilled, even when least expected. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A subtle and delicate family story
With Alice, Say puts a face on the experience of the Japanese American's who were relocated during WWII. Alice and her husband, Mark Sumida's, first "relocation" was to a cow stall at the stockyards. From there they "volunteered" to be farmhands. They were sent to the deserts of eastern Oregon were they were encouraged to grow crops as part of the war effort. Mark studied agronomy and tried to improve the soil by growing alfalfa in the off-season. Through hard work, they became the largest gladiola bulb growers in the US after the war. This is a subtle and delicate family story the reminds all Americans of the injustices that Japanese Americans faced during WWII. ... Read more

Book Description

A little boy takes a fantasy trip up the river by his house to fly-fish with his uncle. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A River Dream by Allen Say
This is a wonderful book for anyone with grandkids. It could only have been written by someone who enjoys the art and ethic of catch and release fishing. In this simple but eloquent story the author, Allen Say, has captured the magic of flyfishing for trout and the need to release your "catch" unharmed. With three grandsons of my own I know this book will be read many times to each of our boys. ... Read more

Book Description

Emma is a gifted young artist whose most prized possession is a small, shaggy rug. When her mother accidentally puts the rug in the washing machine and destroys it, Emma is devastated and ceases her art. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Child's Artistic Sensibility Revealed
It goes without saying that all of Allen Say's books are wonderful; if you've not read "Tea with Milk" or "Grandfather's Journey" or "Allison" (the best book about adoption I've ever read), you are missing a great master in the world of children's picture books. Say both writes and illustrates his books, and the continuity created by this one-person effort (not that he's the only writer who illustrates his own books) is always noticeable, providing a consistency in tone and approach sometimes absent in children's books when the writing and art jobs are divvied up.

Allen Say illustrates his books with rich, yet spare, watercolors that work lovingly and effortlessly with his clean prose style. His paintings are highly representational, even photographic at times, and their perspective and precision are more sometimes more suggestive of oils than watercolors. In this book, Say departs from this realistic tendency at times when he captures beautifully the developing artistic sensibility of a young girl. I don't want to say how he does it, or tell you more about the story than this, because its unfolding is part of the joy here.

For any artistic child, this is a gift of validation for his or her creative interest. And this takes children who appreciate art into the inner world of those who create it. I can't say enough about this fabulous book.

THE BEST!
I don't know how you can give this book 4 stars! If anything this is a 5 star book. I've met Allen Say and he said that 'The question that all authors hate most is, Were do you get your ideas? So I wrote this book and if somone asks me were I get my ideas for books I say read Emma's Rug.

charming story with beautiful illustrations
A wonderful story about how a young girl finds her true source of inspiration to draw and paint. Allen Say does a fabulous job with his watercolor illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

In his Caldecott acceptance speech for GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY, Allen Say told of his difficulty in separating his dreams from reality. For him this separation was not as important as finding a meaning behind the contradictions and choices we all must make in life and their consequences.
Early one morning a boy comes into town, hungry, and looking for work. He meets a sign painter who takes him on as a helper. The boy yearns to be a painter. The man offers him security.
The two are commissioned to paint a series of billboards in the desert. Each billboard has one word, Arrowstar. They do not know its meaning. As they are about to paint the last sign, the boy looks up and sees in the distance a magnificent structure. Is it real? They go to find out.
Through a simple text and extraordinary paintings, the reader learns of the temptation of safe choices and the uncertainties of following a personal dream. Here Allen Say tells a haunting and provocative story of dreams and choices for readers of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderful addition to anyone's library
This is a wonderful story about a young man's pursuit of his dream.The artwork is incredible.The author pays homage to many artists in this book - including Hopper, Rockwell, and O'Keefe to name a few.My sons - ages 7 and 9 both enjoyed it as did their classmates.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Thirteen-year-old Kiyoi, an apprentice to the famous cartoonist, Noro Shinpei, tries to develop his talent and become self-reliant, in this novel based upon the author's own boyhood in Japan. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A powerful book - but be prepared
At first when I saw that someone had given this book two stars, I was amazed ... then I read the whole review and saw the person gave very appropriate reasons. This book is excellent reading for a wide variety of people; the author had a highly unusual childhood, essentially becoming unofficially "emancipated" from his parents and living on his own from early adolescence. We learn a great deal about the thoughts and experiences of a talented author and writer who saw into a number of unfamiliar and intriguing worlds.

At the same time, I know what the reviewer means when she says there are a number of places in the story where events are scary or off-putting to many readers. The author isn't trying to write a shocker or a gross-out book, but he tries hard to be honest about his youthful life, and along with the delightful experiences he had in developing his artistic talents, there were some disturbing events that left him confused and hurt at the time. People who know his wonderful children's picture books might not be prepared for this one, in which not everything is "sweetness and light." So the lone "two-star" reviewer has done an important favor in cautioning you what to expect.

Nonetheless, young people looking for books that reflect some of the hard realities of life -- or who at least can read about them without being too discouraged -- can gain a lot from reading this powerfully account of the good and the bad in the life of a very unusual boy who grew into a very unusual man.

The Best Simply Put
This is the best because the japanese culture is a whole new unexplored area for us 'Americans', we hardly know anything about anything in countries like Japan or China and this book displays almost the whole life of an average kid in Japan. I myself know because I used to live there. I studied there for years and I had hobbies like reading their great manga and watching their anime and this story relates to a kid like me. I love this so please if you want a great reading experiance get this and if you do read it, really read it it is truly great.

Not a high ranked book on my shelf!
The beginning of this book is a nice, calm, peaceful story about a boy interested in cartooning. But then the story changes and is suddenly about a boy growing up, and going through adolescence. I thought some chapters were very gross, and other chapters were just really scary and frightful. I am reading this book when I am eleven, and I think that it is too old for me to read. It is about 13-15 year olds, and the problems and things people of that age group face scare me, or don't interest me. I don't really no whether to suggest or not to suggest this book, but I can say you should be older than 13 to read it, and you should be ready for a big change in plot in the middle of the book.-Katharine Manning, American School In Japan, 6th grade.

A great book to read!!
This book is the kind of 'pick it up and can't put it down' book. The book just made me keep reading and reading, and I couldn't stop. The topic it talked about was unique, a topic that I haven't ever read about before. Mr. Say seems to be able to capture a person in what he writes. The way he tells it makes what's happening in the book so real. I wish that I was Kiyoi, because one of the things that I always wished to be able to do was draw. The charactor that I liked the best was Kiyoi, partially because he was the main charactor and partially because he led such an interesting life. He seemed to be a friend that I would like to have. I recommend this book to most people, young and old. -Dustin Li, 6th grade, American School In Japan.

Wow!!! What a great book!!
I liked this book a lot because the author described the story very vividly. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. Also, I liked the story of the book, too. It was a topic I have never read about. I wish I was the boy who became the pupil of the famous cartoonist because I could become a little famous and I could draw and paint well. The character I liked best was Kiyoi because he was brave, nice, and when he got advice, he would learn from it quickly. He liked painting with charcoal, watercolors, and pastels. He always obeyed his Sensei and he never caused any trouble. I would recommend this book to kids all ages. -Steven Yum, 6th grade, American School In Japan ... Read more

Book Description

The amazing tricks two American soldiers perform on a borrowed bicycle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan. ... Read more

Book Description

A true story of Billy Wong, the first Chinese bullfighter. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Inspirational and humorous
You'll laugh and cheer about this true story! El Chino is an inspirational and humorous portrayal of a Chinese-American's persistent effort to overcome stereotypes and fulfill his dreams. The successful blend of the American dream with an ethnic identity is always a timely lesson. The writing is concise with a tongue-in-cheek wit and the watercolor illustrations glow with luminous detail. This is a great book for any family who has an interest in changing preconceived notions. For Asian-Americans, especially adopted children from China, this book is a must-have addition to your home library.

Simple yet poetic...
Very simple yet poetic storytelling style by the author. It was interesting to see and read the story of one man's dream. Very childlike and reflective of the chinese minimalism in the use of language and illistrations.

I would recommend it not highly. It is not a cute fairy tale but it is a lovely simple book that perhaps could inspire young children to follow their dream no matter what their culture or race.

*** ½ stars ... Read more

Book Description

In dreamlike sequences, a man symbolically confronts the trauma of his family"s incarceration in the Japanese internment camps during World War II. This infamous event is made emotionally clear through his meeting a group of children all with strange name tags pinned to their coats. The man feels the helplessness of the children. Finally, desperately he releases the name tags like birds into the air to find their way home with the hope for a time when Americans will be seen as one people—not judged, mistrusted, or segregated because of their individual heritage. Sixty years after thousands of Japanese Americans were unjustly imprisoned, the cogent prose and haunting paintings of renowned author and illustrator Allen Say remind readers of a dark chapter in America"s history. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This Book Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine
Beautiful, poignant book. Even though it is a children's book, it is abstract, and perhaps hard for even some adults to understand. Despite the symbolic nature of most of the objects in the book, the message is clear, though blurry at the edges.

Home of the brave
This book is about Japanese children in a camp in Calofornia in 1941-1945 (World War 2). Allen Say uses a lot of descriptive writing in this book. It is very mysterious because we do not know who all the children are. I think this is a spectacular book for all agoes. I also recommend this book for anyone who likes descriptive writing.

Let's see this on adult shelves, too!
Children's books are often the best reading -- and I might not find some titles were it not for Amazon's List Makers. "Home of the Brave" by Allen Say is such a discovery, a beautiful book.

Lucky is the author who can extend his message through his own poignant illustrations. This story of a man whose kayak is swept over a falls into an underground river is told as if in a dream. Is he climbing out of a kiva? Encountering two children, he walks with them in the desert toward lights which are those of an internment camp.

This surreal story tells about a people deserted by the country to whom they had given their allegiance. We remember the injustices during World War II and wonder what scars from today's prejudices and judgments are foretold.

How I would like to hear a group of young readers discuss what this story means to them. I hope parents and teachers do not try to escape facing these issues with children. To me there is a plea for understanding and Peace, and there is Hope. I will read it again and again.

A haunting account of men, woman and children
A series of dream sequences imparts the trauma and experience of incarceration in an internment camp: an experience suffered by more than a hundred thousand Japanese Americans during World War II. Say creates a haunting account of men, woman and children who experienced the camps: kids with rudimentary reading skills will find this a thought-provoking introduction to the topic. ... Read more

Book Description

One morning eight-year-old Martin looks in the mirror and sees a stranger. Overnight, he has changed. His parents take him to one doctor after another, only to be told that there is nothing wrong with their son. At school his teacher asks, "What have we here, trick or treat?" His classmates will not play with him. At home his family tries to treat him as if he were the same child. But things now are different. Martin has grown very old in the space of one day. His world will never be the same again. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Childhood favorite
The book was abstract to me as a child, and it still holds for me the same feeling of fantasy and mystery. The Lost Lake was a fictional place I dreamt about as a child, and the illustrations of Allen Say were very different from what I was used to. It's a story I believe of a father and son, from what I remember. As a child I loved that book; that's all I can say.

Startling.
This story is startling.It does what Allen Say sets out todo, it alters you.No one writes about this stuff - age-ism -especially not in a children's book and through the powerful medium ofa hallucinatory/fantastic story sequence.It's definitely different and I almost want to say subversive.I wonder what children would think of it. ... Read more

Book Description

The Kamishibai man used to ride his bicycle into town where he would tell stories to the children and sell them candy, but gradually, fewer and fewer children came running at the sound of his clappers. They were all watching their new televisions instead. Finally, only one boy remained, and he had
no money for candy. Years later, the Kamishibai man and his wife made another batch of candy, and he pedaled into town to tell one more story—his own. When he comes out of the reverie of his memories, he looks around to see he is surrounded by familiar faces—the children he used to entertain have returned, all grown up and more eager than ever to listen to his delightful tales.

Using two very different yet remarkable styles of art, Allen Say tells a tale within a tale, transporting readers seamlessly to the Japan of his memories. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's a WONDERFUL book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Luck Yak is an interesting and witty story about a family (of yaks) who immigrate to the U.S. It is written for children, but its theme is one for all ages... bloom where you are planted, or be careful what you wish for! The illustrations are superb!! ... Read more