This Sunday, we celebrate Grandparents Day in the United States. I think today’s Perfect Picture Book is a wonderful way to celebrate the bonds that unite grandparents and grandchildren, wherever they live. I hope you agree!
Title: Grandpa Across the Ocean
Written & Illustrated By: Hyewon Yum
Publisher/Date: Abrams Books for Young Readers/2021
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: intergenerational, Asian-Americans, Korea, grandparents
Opening:
My Grandpa lives on the other side of the ocean. Where Grandpa lives, it smells strange. It sounds strange.
Brief Synopsis: There might be many differences between a Grandpa and his grandson who speak different languages and live on opposite sides of an ocean, but many things unite them, too.
Links to Resources:
- Cook a meal with an elderly relative or family friend that includes a favorite dish of theirs and yours;
- Celebrate Grandparents Day with these fun activities;
- Learn about South Korea, the setting for this story.
Why I Like this Book:
In Grandpa Across the Ocean, Yum uses kid-relatable examples to show the differences between the Korean grandpa and his visiting American grandson. In addition to the language barrier, readers learn that Grandpa eats yucky foods, watches news programs instead of cartoons, and “naps all the time in his chair”. And the only toy in the house, a ball, ends up crashing into Grandpa’s potted plants, causing a big mess. What child can’t relate to that?
Like the unnamed grandchild, young readers will expect Grandpa to react with sorrow and anger. My guess is that many adults will share that expectation. But instead, this mishap leads to greater understanding between Grandpa and the boy of the similarities that unite them. I love that many of these occur in nature.
Yum’s colorful colored pencil illustrations complement and further the text. I particularly enjoyed a two-page spread featuring Grandpa and the boy, in matching hats at the beach, accompanied by the perceptive text, “We watch the waves come and go. They look just like the waves on the other side of the ocean.” How true! And certainly something we all should remember, whether we’re thinking about barriers separating family members or even separating strangers.
A Note about Craft:
On the jacket flap, readers learn that Yum was born and raised in South Korea, but now resides in New York. Like the mother in this story, she spends part of each summer in South Korea with her own children so that they can spend time with their grandparents. Clearly she has mined these experiences to craft this story.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 
I love intergenerational stories in picture books! They reflect the truth of many kids’ lives. And ones that help kids understand or see their grandparents in a different light is always helpful in the empathy arena. And maybe if the grandparent is doing the reading, they remember what it was like to be small, too. Great pic, Patricia!
Intergenerational stories, especially when they involve cultural differences are the best! Hope you get a chance to read this one.
My favorite kind of stories – intergenerational. And, I particularly like that one grandfather is from South Korea, which introduces kids a bit to the culture. And I like how the author shows the differences between the two grandparents. Many kids will identify. Great choice. And, I forgot it’s Grandparents Day.
I’ve been reading, and rereading, many intergenerational picture books lately. I love exploring these rich relationships, and the addition of the cultural differences adds an important layer.
Great review and choice, Patricia. I love Hyewon Yum’s other books and am looking forward to reading this one. Thanks!
I love her books, too. I hope you can find a copy!