Grandma Forgets
by Paul Russell (Author) Nicky Johnston (Illustrator)
When your grandmother can't remember your name it should be sad, but maybe it is just an opportunity to tell her more often how much you love her.
Grandma Forgets is the heart-warming story of a family bound by love as they cope with their grandma's dementia. Over the years, the little girl has built up a treasure trove of memories of time spent with Grandma: sausages for Sunday lunch, driving in her sky-blue car to the beach, climbing her apple trees while she baked a delicious apple pie, and her comforting hugs during wild storms. But now, Grandma can't remember those memories. That's alright though, because she has her family to help her.
Depicted with gentle, whimsical illustrations, the little girl and her Grandma continue to share a loving relationship despite Grandma's dementia. They play the games they used to play, although Grandma sometimes forgets the rules, or makes up new games like hiding Dad's keys! Sometimes Dad is sad because he has to hold onto the memories for both him and Grandma now, but his daughter is only too happy to help him make new memories to share.
This is a warm, hopeful story about a family who sometimes needs to remind their grandmother a little more often than they used to about how much they care. She might not remember any of their names but she will always know how much she is loved, because they make sure to tell her every time they see her.
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Publishers Weekly
A girl affectingly describes spending time with her grandmother, who has dementia and doesn't remember her granddaughter from visit to visit. "Every time we meet, it's like meeting someone new," the girl says. Australian author Russell doesn't dwell on the potentially upsetting aspects of the woman's lost memories and instead has his young narrator highlight how the family has adapted. "Even though Grandma can't remember us, we have so many memories of her," she says; in the pages that follow, Johnston shows the grandmother and her grandchildren taking trips to the beach, cuddling up during a thunderstorm, and lounging in the summer grass. Indeed, it's the girl's father who's having the hardest time watching his mother's decline ("Sometimes Dad is sad because he has to hold onto the memories for both of them now"). Johnston's loose pencil outlines and cheerful palette play into the comforting, even upbeat, mood. It's evident that Russell's heroine knows that diminished memories don't diminish love in the slightest; families in similar situations should find this a useful resource for framing challenging moments in positive ways. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)
Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Paul Russell is a primary teacher, artist, playwright and children's author of Grandma Forgets and My Storee, among others, with Grandma Forgets making the CBCA list of notable picture books in 2018. He is passionate about children's literacy and building young appetites for the written word. He has a daughter who has worries of her own and he wrote her this story so they could talk about worries together.
Nicky Johnston is an educator, speaker and author/illustrator of children's books. She enjoys every aspect of creating books for kids, especially illustration. Nicky's illustration style is often described as whimsical, emotive, soft and expressive. She is passionate about promoting emotional resilience in children and raising awareness of mental health issues. Nicky's love of teaching sees her busy with school visits to share her journey of becoming an author and illustrator, and to show children the process of creating a book using excerpts of her work. She also presents at workshops and conferences. As well as teaching, Nicky works from home writing and illustrating in her art studio, and has contributed to 16 books including At the End of Holyrood Lane(EK Books, 2018), The Fix-It Man (EK Books 2017), Saying Goodbye to Barkley (EK Books, 2019), The Incredibly Busy Mind of Bowen Bartholomew Crisp (with Paul Russell, 2021, EK Books) and Upside-Down Friday (EK Books, 2021).
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV015020 - Juvenile Fiction | Health & Daily Living | Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries
Grandmothers
Picture books
Families
Juvenile works
Alzheimer's disease
