Gigi and Ojiji: Food for Thought

Ohayo! It’s breakfast time and Gigi can’t wait to make her favorite meal—Peanut Butter Toast. Yummy! But her grandfather, Ojiji, doesn’t like peanut butter. How can anyone NOT like peanut butter? Ojiji prefers Japanese foods—like natto, made from fermented soybeans. Will Gigi learn to love a new breakfast treat? This story highlights the close relationship of Gigi and her grandfather and the importance of trying new things! 

Young readers will relate to Gigi, who tries natto even though she thought it “smelled funny. It was sticky and slimy.” Because Ojiji loves natto, Gigi doesn’t want to tell him that she doesn’t like natto so she hides her natto in her napkin, but her dog Roscoe knocks the napkin off Gigi’s lap. Instead of being upset, Ojiji says, “You don’t have to like everything, even if other people love it. The important thing is you tried it.” The cute ending shows that even though Gigi and Ojiji don’t like the same foods, Roscoe does.  

As part of the I Can Read Level 3 Series, Gigi and Ojiji: Food for Thought is intended for independent readers who are ready for more complex plots and challenging vocabulary. Each page has three to six sentences and large illustrations. The cute illustrations capture Gigi’s emotions while the back of the book has a Japanese vocabulary wordlist. 

Gigi is a biracial six-year-old girl from a biracial family who is portrayed in a positive light. Although Gigi and Ojiji love each other, they sometimes have misunderstandings. However, they use positive communication skills to solve their problems. Gigi’s conflict lets readers see that you can love someone even if you don’t enjoy the same things. Gigi’s relatable conflict and the adorable illustrations will have children reading Gigi and Ojiji: Food for Thought again and again.    

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None