The Wakame Gatherers

A touching and timely story about a biracial girl who is excited to spend time with her American grandmother and her Japanese grandmother.

Nanami has two grandmothers: Bachan, who lives with Nanami’s family in Japan, and Gram, who lives in Maine. When Gram visits Japan, Bachan takes her and Nanami on a trip to the seaside to gather wakame, a long, curvy seaweed that grows near the shore.

While the three assemble their equipment and walk to the beach, Bachan explains how wakame and other seaweeds are used in Japan. Gram shares stories about how seaweeds are used in Maine, and Nanami translates for them both.

By the end of the day, Nanami’s two grandmothers discover that they have much in common despite being from countries that fought in World War II, which they both remember. Looking out across the beach at surfers, dog walkers, and seaweed gatherers, they share an appreciation of this precious peace.

Holly Thompson’s beautiful prose captures the exuberance of a young girl who easily traverses two cultures and languages. It also illuminates the love and understanding that grows between two older women who are so different, yet share an unbreakable bond. Kazumi Wilds’s vivid paintings make the Japanese landscape and the rocky shores of Maine come alive, reminding us all that we share this earth and the peace that we create.