Ojiichan's Gift

Reach for this book when your child is processing a grandparent's transition into assisted living, a decline in health, or the loss of a family home. It is a gentle tool for explaining how aging can change our physical abilities while emphasizing that the core of a relationship remains unchanged. Through the story of Mayumi and her grandfather, the book explores how love can be expressed through shared creativity and the preservation of traditions. The story follows Mayumi, who visits her grandfather in Japan every summer to work in the stone garden he built specifically for her. As Ojiichan grows older and can no longer maintain the garden or live alone, Mayumi must navigate the sadness of change. She eventually finds a way to bring the essence of their garden to his new, smaller home. It is a beautifully illustrated, realistic look at empathy and the continuity of family bonds across generations and physical distances.