Phil Cummings

This is a touching story of a little girl interacting with her grandfather who has Alzheimer's. When Georgie and her father go to visit her grandfather she is wondering if he will remember her. He remembers things from long ago like when he and his brother are little, baking with his mother and even his time in the war, but does not seem to remember Georgie. Using pictures in his room and the newspapers he has around they make paper hats to help him remember things. They give hats to the other residents and have a happy afternoon. Dealing with a loved one with Alzheimer's is tough for adults but it is even harder for children to understand. This story gently shows how they can interact with grandpa or whoever it may be, and still enjoy their company even if they do not remember them. This is a great book to read aloud to young children who have a loved one with Alzheimer's but also is a good book for adults to use to show them how they can speak to their children and help them to understand as well. This is a great book to have in public libraries for families to access, perhaps a section on dealing with various difficult issues that children need support with.

I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.… (más)

Living in a kingdom consumed by conflict between the local king and the local dragon, who has destroyed all of the forests on the mountainside, Boy is for the most part blithely unconcerned. Happy in his life with his parents, who understand his sign language, even if the villagers do not, he leads a quiet, gentle existence. Then one day he strays into the middle of a battle between the king's knights and the dragon, and being deaf, doesn't hear either side shouting at him. When he finally does realize where he is, his innocent question - "Why are you fighting?" - leads to some revelations that help end the conflict...

Originally published in Australia, this delightful original fairy-tale features a number of popular storytelling elements, from dragons to knights, and stars a winsome young hero who just also happens to be deaf. I found the story engaging and the artwork humorous and appealing. I appreciated the fact that Boy is able to communicate with the king, his knights and the dragons, despite not being able to speak with them directly, and I particularly liked that at the end, when his parents and the villagers are thanking him, they do so with sign language. This hints at a hopeful future in which more people learn the skills necessary to communicate with Boy. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about peacemaking and/or tales featuring deaf heroes.… (más)