Customer Reviews

Erika-San

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Say has written and illustrated another fine book about America and Japan. In this book, a young girl yearns to live in a house like the one in a picture on the wall at her grandmother's. In a way, Erika wants to be Japanese. Erika studies Japanese, then travels to Japan, ending up in a remote village with a house like the one in the picture; here she feels a sense of peace and of being at home. Exquisite art really helps move the story and allow the reader to visualize what is not said in the words. Erika-San brings the circle begun in Grandfather's Journey to completion. The art and mood lighter and happier in Erika-san than in Grandfather's Journey; there is not a lingering doubt of where does Erika want to be, either on her part or the reader's part.

Ever since that fateful day when Erika first saw her grandmother's framed print of a lovely Japanese cottage, Erika wanted to learn all about Japan. She loved hearing Japanese folktales at bedtime, she studied Japanese language from middle school through college, and she left for a teaching job in Tokyo immediately after her college graduation.

Unfortunately, Tokyo caught her by surprise with its enormity and complete lack of anything resembling that serene cottage from her grandmother's print. The employment agency had another job for her in a smaller city, but even there the hustle and bustle overwhelmed her. Only one other job opening remained, on a remote Japanese island. Could this be the place where Erika might feel at home?

Acclaimed author and illustrator Allen Say has created yet another outstanding picture book that bridges East and West. Interwoven into the storyline are some important ideas in economics related to immigration and jobs. The subtle text and gorgeous watercolor pictures may even leave the reader with a surprising urge to travel far away and bicycle through lush, green rice paddies.

Our class uses Allen Say as our author study. I have dissected 20 on our board. This is a charming American to Japanese "you are my density" story. With millions leaving for the big city's bucks, here is a little girl's fantasy of growing up in California's culture, becoming a graduate, and choosing a refreshing lifestyle reversal to a small island in Japan. (sans D.O.D. base) A detailed Caldicott artist depicts your soul's journey from planetary entrance to destiny's fulfillment. Gregg Wichmann