I have a sneaking suspicion that this one may be as popular with the adults reading it as the children. I know I found myself pausing as I finished, wondering what I'd have conjured up to share about my grandparents' homes with strangers. The ol' piano in one's home and the pile of genealogy magazines in another that stirred my interest in our family tree in the other would definitely make the cut. Oh, and the short cut to the ice cream store! Somehow Grandma always had some spare change to give me. Grin.
The illustrations add to the layers of memories and love throughout the book. As the obviously introverted child shares memories and things that made them so enjoy visits, the illustrations offer sketchy, line drawn ideas seemingly hovering on the current view of what once was. Ghosts of memories? This book is at once both heart warming and rather melancholy. Be prepared for children to ask "What happened to Grammie?" The book doesn't really say, so that opens an avenue to discussion. In other words, this book could come in handy for helping a child deal with not just the sale of a beloved family home after a move but the inevitable passage of time. Grandparents might find it particularly applicable to read with grandchildren.
In other words, a lovely combo of fun, ie the energetic, full-of-loving-memories child, and some sense of melancholy, too, as what was lost. It does highlight the idea that as long as there are memories, no one is truly gone. Although I'd honestly thought the couple looking at the house would have a child that Grammie's grandchild would be sharing with, the fact it's a young couple with memories to make, a pair that seems to be charmed and fall under the magic of the child's loving memories, worked well. Thanks #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouseCanada - #TundraBooks for giving me an early peek at this delightful book. I'm thinking it would make a lovely gift, perhaps from grandparents to grandchildren, but also to your local library. Bottom line, it made me feel good and remember my own days with "the Grands", as we dubbed them, as those faint memories became strong again.
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