Product Description

Yuuta and his mother worry about his grandfather who now lives alone after his grandmother died. Visiting Grandfather in the hope of convincing him to move in with them, Yuuta spends the day with Grandpa, and concludes, happily, that his grandfather is neither alone nor lonely. Full-color illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2426641 in Books
• Published on: 1991-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-- Yuuta's mother tries to convince his recently widowed grandfather to move in with them since he must be lonely, but he refuses. Yuuta, going along to the public baths with him, meets some of his grandfather's friends and realizes that the man is not so alone. This gentle story is exquisitely illustrated with ink borders and watercolors in a folksy woodblock print style. The warm earth tones reinforce the Japanese setting in a wonderful way to produce a cozy book. The English translation in this bilingual production is decidely the weak link. The outline is here, but the color, subtlety, and tones of the original are missing. In some instances, Stinchecum fails to convey meaning. In one situation, the grandfather makes a joke in the bath, explained with a line that occurs nowhere in the Japanese. In spite of such deficiencies, this is an enjoyable tale that provides a glimpse of life in rural Japan, recognizable interactions with a grandparent, and real-life situations. Yuuta's anxiety about being in a public bath for the first time is strongly conveyed and, cultural conventions aside, is an identifiable experience, nicely resolved. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
With text appearing in Japanese and English, a simple story about a little boy who is worried that his widowed grandfather is lonely--until he goes with him to a public bath and realizes how many friends Grandpa has. Of interest especially for its handsome woodcuts of the village scene, including a detailed depiction of men and boys of all ages chatting as they go through the bath's routine. Fine ``multicultural'' material. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Language Notes
Text: English, Japanese

Customer Reviews

A must-have book for bi-cultural families!
Maybe you are like my wife and me: looking for a children's book written in both Japanese and English that tells a contemporary story about life in Japan. How happy we were to find this one - it is all of the above, and artfully drawn, and gently moral, too. Or maybe you just want a really good bed-time story about a foreign place. Either way, you should buy this book.