Faraway Grandpa [Hardcover]

Roberta Karim (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Dear Kathleen,
Heard a new song. We'll sing it together this summer! Oops, almost forgot. The song is called "Danny Boy." Such a fine name!

A poignant story about the changing relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter as he succumbs to Alzheimer's disease

Grandpa Danny sang bass, and Kathleen sang the high notes. That was the summer that Kathleen learned about listening with the heart and not the ears. But when it was time for her to visit with Grandpa Danny again, Gramps wasn't himself-he forgot things, and sometimes his mind seemed to be covered in clouds.

Still, even on Grandpa Danny's most shadowy of days, Kathleen knew that when she sang "Danny Boy" he was listening with his heart.

This poignant story about love and devotion will touch the hearts of readers young and old alike.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–In August of 1915, Kathleen and her family spend two fun-filled weeks with Grandpa Danny. They sing "Danny Boy," rock on the porch swing, drink root-beer floats, and annoy the neighbors. However, things are different when they visit in 1916; Grandpa Danny has grown forgetful, and when the summer ends he comes to live in Kathleen's house. His memory steadily declines, but the girl knows her grandfather is still in there, and that on his "shadowy" days, she can sometimes pull his head out of the clouds with music. Karim's sympathetic characters occupy a universe that seems simpler in some ways (there is no question that the family will care for Danny at home) and perhaps more frightening in others (his affliction is not identified). The story's dominant themes of distance, loneliness, and loss appear in the title, in the lyrics of Grandpa's favorite song, and most obviously when he gets lost in Kathleen's house. Still, she always helps him find his way back, however briefly. Rand's pencil, watercolor, and acrylic art depicts the period with warmth and detail.–Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Maria Shriver's What's Happening to Grandpa?

PreS-Gr.3. Written from a child's viewpoint, these two picture books tell the story of a beloved grandfather with Alzheimer's disease. In Faraway Grandpa, set nearly a century ago, Kathleen visits her Grandpa Danny every summer, and they have uproarious fun together. He loves shenanigans, he teases her, and together they bellow out his song from Ireland, "Danny Boy." But one year, he forgets that she's coming, and eventually he comes to live with her family. He hides in her closets and does other silly things. He makes trouble with the neighbors, and he even forgets her name. But he remembers things from long ago, and always, he and Kathleen share the melancholy song. The old-fashioned setting distances the story, but it also shows that the illness is not new. In Rand's warm, pencil-and-watercolor paintings and Karim's short, unrhymed lines the quiet scenarios of hurt and humiliation and heartfelt love tell the truth.

In contrast, Shriver's characters are absolutely perfect, and her scenarios are pure bliss. Gushy words and misty pastel illustrations depict family members across three generations as unfailingly kind, strong, and understanding. Young Kate is "curious, sensitive, and wise beyond her age," and Grandpa had an "absolutely happy" life. Yet how supportive is this scenario when a child trying to cope with a beloved, ailing grandparent feels (and sees family members feeling) irritation, anger, and guilt? There will be many requests for this; it has been widely promoted and endorsed by Nancy Reagan. But the purposive story isn't what works; it's the information woven into the fiction. The clear facts about the disease, what to expect (Will Mom get it? Will Kate?), and how to cope are supported by an excellent list of resources and organizations to contact. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (August 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080506785X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805067859
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,752,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mister Rogers could not have explained it any better., December 15, 2004

By 

Ann B. Weaver (MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faraway Grandpa (Hardcover)

We could have used this book a few years ago when the live-in grandfather of our son's close friend was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. So many times, we rely on children's books to help us explain difficult subjects. Leave it to Roberta Karim, author of Mandy Sue Day, to provide us with a straightforward look into the life of an Alzheimer's patient. I marveled at Kathleen's loving response to her grandfather's illness and her determination to maintain their close bond despite his faraway mind. Karim's engaging prose and Rand's lively illustrations make a heartbreaking subject easy to digest.