A colleague picked this book up from the review table at our librarians' meeting last month...but graciously gave it to me, given my connection with Japan these days (my daughter lives and works there!).
Mayumi's grandfather built her a garden of sand and rocks, shrubs and trees when she was born. Each summer, Mayumi and her parents travel back to Japan, and Mayumi learns more and more about taking care of the garden--how to prune, weed, and rake the sand and gravel into place. One summer, they arrive to find the house and garden unkempt; Ojiichan is no longer able to live alone. Mayumi is angry about losing this special place that has bonded her and her grandfather, but finds a clever way to keep the memory of the garden alive for her grandfather--and herself.
Ojiichan's Gift by Chieri Uegaki, illustrated by Genevieve Simms, is a story with many classroom applications: an introduction to Japanese culture; connections with a dual-culture family; social-emotional topics of shared family activities, anger management, problem-solving, and acts of kindness. I'll be happy to add it to our library collection at Sommer.
It's Monday! Have you read a book lately that's a window into another culture?
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