My Little Grandmother Often Forgets

Lindbergh (My Hippie Grandmother ) writes in the voice of a youngster endearingly devoted to his grandmother, who suffers from memory loss. The title page shows the lad and his parents arriving at the home of the diminutive woman, who sports an eccentric hairstyle, snazzy earrings, jeans and striped socks. The child observes that his grandmother can't find her belongings, including her cat (perched atop the chair she's sitting in) and her glasses (tucked into her hair). The boy stays close to his grandmother, watching her take burnt cookies from the oven and waiting patiently as she ponders a purchase, explaining that on an earlier visit “She got to the store/ but forgot the way back./ Now she takes me along,/ and I help her keep track.” In an especially affecting scene, the understanding grandson gently corrects her when she calls him by his father's name: “So I say, 'I'm not Roy,'/ and she answers, 'You're not?'/ Then I tell her, 'I'm Tom./ That's okay. You forgot.'” In the story's heartwarming ending, Tom reveals that his grandmother now lives with him and “She can't find her cat,/ and she loses her way..../ But she says she's found me,/ so she thinks she will stay.” Brown's (Tough Bori s) wispy, pastel-toned watercolor and ink illustrations poignantly underscore the bond between the narrator and his grandmother. This will easily provide a springboard for adult-child dialogue and will reassure children faced with similar family situations that they can be of help. Ages 4-6. (Apr.)