Children who may be frightened by a relative’s dementia will find reassurance in this informative, approachable story.
In this picture book, a little girl learns how music helps her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Gabrielle, a young Caucasian girl, notices that her beloved grandmother seems dazed; the older woman also tries to get into the wrong car after they attend a ballet together. Later, Gabrielle’s mother explains that “Grandma has been having difficulty remembering recent events and is becoming confused” due to Alzheimer’s disease. Gabrielle wants to help her, and the next morning, she and her mom bring Grandma’s old record player down from the attic. Hearing her favorite songs, Grandma is smiling and happy, as she was during the ballet. Gabrielle learns that music helps Grandma connect with her memories and can also calm her. An author’s note explains more about Alzheimer’s disease and how music can help sufferers “retain identity, promote communication, and reduce anxiety.” Gerdner (Grandfather’s Story Cloth, 2015, etc.), a registered nurse, draws on the basic principles of an evidence-based protocol that she developed for using music to assist Alzheimer’s patients. The way that the mother involves young Gabrielle with the plan is a nice touch; for example, the girl helps carry Grandma’s scrapbook. Gearino’s full-page illustrations are warm, detailed, and softly colored, contributing to the soothing atmosphere.
Children who may be frightened by a relative’s dementia will find reassurance in this informative, approachable story.Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9986864-0-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pizzicato Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves
A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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