WHO WILL HEAR BEGONIA?

Two sisters learn an important lesson from their dog about how love can transcend illness in this debut picture book.

Begonia the dachshund just wants to go with her human family to visit Nana. But Begonia is too dirty because she was digging for flowers for Nana. The pooch is left at home when her pale-skinned humans—Emma, Kara, and their mom—take a gift to Nana they are sure will make her smile. But even when Nana opens the present, a quilt with her favorite birds, her “memory illness” means she doesn’t smile. Emma and Kara hatch a plan to make Nana laugh, and Begonia wants to help, but again she is left at home. When Kara and Emma’s best efforts fail, they realize that maybe what they need is exactly what Begonia is offering: a little canine love. The dog and the girls succeed, and even though Nana is still lost in memories, her love shines through. Coping with a grandparent with memory loss or a mental illness can be very difficult, and Gable captures that situation in the frustration of the girls and in their determination to reach their grandparent. Debut illustrator Stephenson's soft-hued images in ink and watercolor evoke the book’s subdued tone while also showing Begonia’s exuberance. The repeated phrase, “But no one hears Begonia,” gives lap readers a moment to chime in during the touching story.

A sweet tale of two girls growing to understand their grandmother’s illness.