The Fall 2008 issue of Multicultural Review includes a really nice review of The Wakame Gatherers by Holly Thompson and illustrated by Kazumi Wilds:
"Nanami is an extraordinary girl in the eyes of both her grandmothers. One (Gram) is from Maine and the other from a sea village in Japan. Nanami lives in Japan with her parents, so Gram has to travel far for her unforgettable visit.
"As Namami translates for her grandmothers, she learns of the war between their countries and about the peace today that allows them to be friends. Each grandmother learns to appreciate the other. They both also learn about seaweed.
"During Gram's visit, Obaasan takes her and Nanami to gather seaweed to eat, narrating through the gathering and preparation processes. Obaasan is shocked that in Maine, where the conditions are perfect for growing seaweed, no one eats it. So, upon her return home, Gram tries her hand at seaweed gathering along with the routine setting of her lobster traps.
"This is a heartwarming example of how being from different cultures, countries, and races and speaking another language are not really barriers to appreciation and acceptance unless we allow them to be. There are many biracial, binational, and bilingual families today that prove this is true. I have been asked many times if my own family's differences cause problems. The answer is that as long as there is respect, there is no problem, just as is the case in this charming picture book."
"Nanami is an extraordinary girl in the eyes of both her grandmothers. One (Gram) is from Maine and the other from a sea village in Japan. Nanami lives in Japan with her parents, so Gram has to travel far for her unforgettable visit.
"As Namami translates for her grandmothers, she learns of the war between their countries and about the peace today that allows them to be friends. Each grandmother learns to appreciate the other. They both also learn about seaweed.
"During Gram's visit, Obaasan takes her and Nanami to gather seaweed to eat, narrating through the gathering and preparation processes. Obaasan is shocked that in Maine, where the conditions are perfect for growing seaweed, no one eats it. So, upon her return home, Gram tries her hand at seaweed gathering along with the routine setting of her lobster traps.
"This is a heartwarming example of how being from different cultures, countries, and races and speaking another language are not really barriers to appreciation and acceptance unless we allow them to be. There are many biracial, binational, and bilingual families today that prove this is true. I have been asked many times if my own family's differences cause problems. The answer is that as long as there is respect, there is no problem, just as is the case in this charming picture book."
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