Gigi's Ojiji, her grandpa, is coming from Japan to live with them and she could not be more excited. She has so many plans to do fun things together including playing tag, reading books and spending time with the family dog, Roscoe. Unfortunately, things don't work out quite the way she imagined.
Ojiji doesn't speak much English and Gigi doesn't speak much Japanese and Gigi worries that the language barrier will be too much. After a short while the two learn to communicate with each other and their bond is strong. How they spend their time together is different from what Gigi initially planned and that's okay.
In Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name? Gigi wants to go by something other than her nickname. Gigi's family supports her in her quest. She tries out several names including Geraldine and Hanako and eventually lands on the name that suits her best.
Gigi and Ojiji was named a 2023 Notable Children's Book and a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award honor. The Geisel Award recognizes the author and illustrator of the most distinguished book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year. Both books are Level 3 I Can Read! books, which showcase complex plots, challenging vocabulary, and high-interest topics for the independent reader.