BEFORE SHE WAS MY GRANDMOTHER

Generational lore takes a front seat in this tale of a grandmother’s life and keepsakes.

A grandchild with long blond hair enjoys spending time with Grandmother, referred to as Alice. Best of all is when Alice brings out a box of “special things.” Each one has a story; together, they help piece together the elder’s life “before she was my grandmother.” As a child, Alice was often ill. Due to her stiff joints, she used a wheelchair and often played and read alone. Her parents sent her across the sea to Switzerland to a “stone hospital filled with children just like her.” After Alice recovered, she grew up, started a family, and eventually became a grandmother. With a quick look back at the box’s contents, readers can identify the key components of Alice’s young life, from an owl carved from a walnut shell (a gift from her sisters) to the paintings she created while recuperating. Potter’s flattened painterly style complements her narrative’s gently contemplative tone. Adults will easily make connections between Alice’s possessions and the life she lived—and will readily appreciate this tribute to a life well lived—though the story’s a shade subtle for younger readers. The book concludes with the suggestion that perhaps the grandchild might someday make a memory box, too; teachers seeking ideas for original projects will find inspiration here. Most characters present white.

An account of a life creatively encapsulated in treasured items, though likely to speak more to adult readers than to kids.