This picture book is one of my absolute favorites. The illustrations by Dan Santat are stunning, and the story has so much heart. I love the wordplay of the title, as well. In the book, a grandson struggles to connect with his grandson because they don’t speak the same language. After several tries, the grandfather realizes they both love to draw, and so they go on a magical adventure together with their drawings. Basically, their drawings literally draw them together.
The words are sparse because the characters’ expressions really do a lot of the talking in a simple, graphic novel style with multiple images on a page. It makes for a fun, interactive experience when reading it with young children as you ask them about the pictures and discuss what each character is feeling.
I think this book is so effective because it depicts a language barrier that both the author and illustrator related to personally–Vietnamese American for Le and Thai American for Santat.
My grandparents spoke English like me, but even then, we can all relate to trying to find a way to relate to another person, which can be especially tricky across generational gaps.
Depending on if you borrow this book from the library or buy your own copy, you might not be able to take off the dust jacket. If you can get a peek, the casewrap is a fun surprise as it is designed to look like the grandfather’s sketch book from the story!
Grab a copy of your own today and enjoy!
Happy reading!
Books for Curious Kids 