Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name?

Gigi wants to go by something besides her baby name-but her full name, Geraldine, is too long to write and Hanako, her middle name, doesn't feel quite right. Will Gigi find the perfect name?

This exciting new I Can Read series is brought to you by author-illustrator Melissa Iwai, whose popular books include Soup Day and Dumplings for Lili.

Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name? is a Level Three I Can Read book. Level 3 includes many fun subjects kids love to read about on their own. Themes include friendship, adventure, historical fiction, and science. Level 3 books are written for early independent readers. They include some challenging words and more complex themes and stories. The story contains several Japanese words and a glossary of definitions.

Praise for Gigi and Ojiji:

""Gigi crafts her Japanese American identity in this enchanting early reader. The cuteness, inclusivity, and cross-cultural problem-solving represented will have young readers coming back again and again. A must-buy."" -School Library Journal (starred review)

""The text is well supported by the endearing illustrations, which capture all of Gigi's big emotions and depict her as a biracial child, with a white father and Japanese mother."" -ALA Booklist (starred review)

""An affirming option in the quickly diversifying field of early-reader books."" -Kirkus Reviews

A 2023 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor title

El día de los niños, el día de los libros selection 2023

ALSC Notable 2023

CBC Teacher and Librarian Favorites Award 2023

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year in the 5-9 beginning reader category (2023)

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best

A CCBC 2024 Choices for the Books for Beginning Readers category!