Title: A Doll for Grandma
Author: Paulette Bochnig Sharkey
Illustrator: Samantha Woo
The Story:
Kiera loves spending time with her grandma. She looks forward to special occasions, when they bake molasses cookies using the family recipe that has been passed down for generations. As time goes on, Kiera notices that Grandma is becoming increasingly forgetful and soon has to move into a care home. When Grandma mistakes Kiera for her childhood friend, Sally-Mae, it gives Kiera an idea for how to cheer up Grandma – a doll of her own.
Favourite Spread:
The cover shows Kiera and Grandma eating their family-recipe cookies with their dolls, before Grandma begins to lose her memory. The cookies and dolls are the thread of this story, and I found this picture of Kiera and her grandma, both holding their dolls, eating their cookies (now cooked just by Kiera and her mum) very moving.
The Verdict:
This story brought a tear to my eye. The family picnics, with their cookies and dolls, at the beginning and end of this book creates a lovely flow. A Doll for Grandma, offers a way to start a conversation with children who are experiencing a loved one developing memory loss. At the end of the book there is also a factual page of information by the founder of the Dementia and Alzheimer’s Well Being Network, to aid family discussion.
Publisher: Fortress Press
Publication date: 5 May 2020
ISBN: 978-1506457383
I am very grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book. This voluntary review contains my honest opinion.
Picture Book Perfect 