When David hears that his grandfather has sold his dairy farm and is coming to live with his family on Grosse Ile in Michigan, he is excited. When David used to visit Grandad's farm, Grandad showed him lots of wonderful things. Now it's David's turn, and there are so many things he wants to share with Grandad. But when Grandad finally arrives, he just sits on the porch in a rocking chair, staring out at the river. He isn't even hungry for pancakes. David's mom tells him Grandad just misses his cows. David wants Grandad to stop missing his cows and to enjoy living on the island as much as David does. He doesn't want to hear that Grandad doesn't feel at home. In this poignant story of a boy's relationship with his grandfather, Martha Bennett Stiles and Daniel San Soui have captured the urgency of a child's desire to be accepted by, and to give in return to, someone he loves.

 

This book was published 1998 by Simon & Schuster .

Eujin Kim Neilan is the illustrator of The Best Winds, by Laura E. Williams, and In the Moonlight Mist: A Korean Tale , retold by Daniel San Souci. She lives in Natick, Massachusetts.