trinitylutheranchurch

PreS-Gr.3. Written from a child's viewpoint, these two picture books tell the story of a beloved grandfather with Alzheimer's disease. In Faraway Grandpa, set nearly a century ago, Kathleen visits her Grandpa Danny every summer, and they have uproarious fun together. He loves shenanigans, he teases her, and together they bellow out his song from Ireland, "Danny Boy." But one year, he forgets that she's coming, and eventually he comes to live with her family. He hides in her closets and does other silly things. He makes trouble with the neighbors, and he even forgets her name. But he remembers things from long ago, and always, he and Kathleen share the melancholy song. The old-fashioned setting distances the story, but it also shows that the illness is not new. In Rand's warm, pencil-and-watercolor paintings and Karim's short, unrhymed lines the quiet scenarios of hurt and humiliation and heartfelt love tell the truth.

In contrast, Shriver's characters are absolutely perfect, and her scenarios are pure bliss. Gushy words and misty pastel illustrations depict family members across three generations as unfailingly kind, strong, and understanding. Young Kate is "curious, sensitive, and wise beyond her age," and Grandpa had an "absolutely happy" life. Yet how supportive is this scenario when a child trying to cope with a beloved, ailing grandparent feels (and sees family members feeling) irritation, anger, and guilt? There will be many requests for this; it has been widely promoted and endorsed by Nancy Reagan. But the purposive story isn't what works; it's the information woven into the fiction. The clear facts about the disease, what to expect (Will Mom get it? Will Kate?), and how to cope are supported by an excellent list of resources and organizations to contact.