Grandpa Forgets

This unusual picture book for the young is told from a little girl’s perspective as to how she sees her Grandpa with dementia.  She tells us he forgets things like what he had for breakfast, who has visited today, where to find the coffee, and the fact that he ‘has already had a banana’.  But he still enjoys singing and loves dogs and smelling flowers – and even remembers some of his ‘funny old stories’.  Best of all, he hasn’t forgotten how to hold the little girl’s hand.  The illustrations are unexpected:  life-like faces of the little girl, her mother and Grandpa are surrounded by line drawings of their home, with occasional brightly coloured pictures of the dogs and the flowers that Grandpa loves.  And always, always, a little pink elephant on every page!  Beautifully planned and executed, the story is moving, but with some humour too, and Grandpa seems to enjoy life just as much as his granddaughter.  Wonderfully evocative.