GRANDPA DOESN'T KNOW IT'S ME

by Donna Guthrie ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1986

A straightforward fictional presentation of Alzheimer's disease and its effect on the family. Lizzie describes how Grandpa used to teach her and join in her play when she was little, then how he begins to forget first minor and gradually more important things. As the disease advances, he moves in with Lizzie's family, which soon needs the respite of occasional day care for Grandpa, who can be bewilderingly unreasonable. But Lizzie still loves him, remembering how he used to be. Relentlessly low-budget illustrations, clumsy line drawings with peach overlay, seem intended to instruct the reader about the various characters' emotions; instead, they reinforce the book's textbook image. As an introduction to a difficult situation faced by many families, this is carefully accurate; appropriately for this age level, Guthrie concludes her story well before the bitter end.

Pub Date: May 15, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Human Sciences

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1986

Categories: NONFICTION