James has a lot of balloons, and each one of his balloons keeps one of his memories. Mom and Dad have even more balloons, but Grandpa has the most balloons and loves to share his memories with James. Lately, Grandpa has been having trouble with his balloons. Sometimes they get caught in trees, and he tells the same stories over and over. Other times he loses a balloon and doesn't know its lost. Soon Grandpa has lost all his balloons. James can't understand what is happening to Grandpa, but discovers he has many more balloons, each containing his grandpa's memories. Now, James is the storyteller, who reminds Grandpa of all his memories.
This is one of the most touching books I've ever read. A beautifully told story that makes understanding dementia and Alzheimer's accessible to young people. Beautifully illustrated with pencil drawings on stark white backgrounds, with only the balloons in color. This is a picture book for all ages. An excellent opening for discussion on aging, memory loss and Alzheimer's.
Mark's Book Picks Score: 5
Reading Level: 2.0 • Interest Level: K-3 • AR Points: NA • Lexile: NA
Publisher: Simon & Schuster • 48 Pages • Copyright: 2018 • ISBN: 978-1-481-48915-7
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