Gigi and Ojiji

Starred review from April 1, 2022

Gr 1-3-Gigi is excited to meet her grandpa, Ojiisan, who is arriving from Japan to live with her family. Even with her basic Japanese vocabulary and the drawing she made to welcome him, their introduction stumbles through several cross-cultural misunderstandings, which makes Gigi cry. Her mom helps her understand the differences between American and Japanese culture and reassures Gigi that all will be well in time. Gigi's interiority is well represented in this wonderful early reader; her thoughts and worries are front and center. Her need for adult consolation and the child-friendly explanations of cultural context will resonate with young readers. The arc of the story is easy to follow. Diversity is well represented; readers will see in the bright, adorable art that Gigi's dad is white, and her mom is Japanese. Readers will also have to make a few inferences about the story, but with three to seven sentences per page, the images support the text to help children understand Gigi's feelings, her parents' reassurances, Roscoe the dog's actions, and Ojiisan's mannerisms. Although some sentences are 10 to 18 words long and some pages contain up to nine six-letter words, most of the text is short dialogue. Japanese words are explained through conversation, and there is a glossary at the end to cement understanding. VERDICT Gigi crafts her Japanese American identity in this enchanting early reader. The cuteness, inclusivity, and cross-cultural problem-solving represented will have young readers coming back again and again. A must-buy.-Jamie Winchell

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2022
Can a young American girl navigate cultural and linguistic differences with her Japanese grandfather? Gigi, a girl with pale skin and short, dark brown hair, can't wait until Ojiisan (grandfather) comes to live with her family, which includes her Japanese mother, her White father, and Roscoe, their playful dog. But when the family meets Ojiisan at the airport, Gigi's hopes for instant connection are dashed in the face of language and culture barriers. Disappointed, Gigi tearfully confides in her mother, who helps to clear up the misunderstandings. Though Gigi is upset that her grandfather tucked away the drawing she made instead of opening it, Mom explains, "Most Japanese people his age think it's rude to open a present in front of the person who gave it to them." With support from Mom, Gigi reaches out again to Ojiisan and finds that they can teach each other the words and cultural norms they don't yet know. This book combines a large font, colorful cartoon art, and an age-appropriate plot in order to introduce the topic of cross-cultural differences (and the emotions that come with bridging them). Gigi experiences a wide range of feelings, which young ones can consider as they follow her story. A glossary contains a handful of Japanese words used in the story but does not include any hints at pronunciation. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An affirming option in the quickly diversifying field of early-reader books. (Early reader. 5-8)

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Starred review from March 1, 2022
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* Gigi is so excited! Today, Ojiji (Grandpa) is coming from Japan to live with her family. She has so many ideas for them to do together--playing tag, reading books, and teaching her dog new tricks. But Gigi's plans are almost immediately scuttled when they pick Ojiji up from the airport. Not only does Ojiji need help adjusting to life in America, Gigi's afraid he doesn't like her! Gigi spills all her worries to her mother, who explains that some things are done differently in Japan. For instance, people often bow rather than hug. Feeling reassured, Gigi's excitement returns along with some new plans for her time with Ojiji. As a level 3 reader, this book for independent readers uses longer sentences and more complex vocabulary, but the text is well supported by the endearing illustrations, which capture all of Gigi's big emotions and depict her as a biracial child, with a white father and Japanese mother. A sweet rapport begins to develop between the girl and her grandfather by story's end, giving this tale of relatable worries a comforting end.

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