My biggest complaint about this very sweet book is that I didn't have the music to play while reading it. I feel like I missed so much of the feel of this book without the accompaniment.

This is a simple, sweet story Max, a little boy whose grandfather has just been put into a nursing home. Max has grown up with his grandfather, and he hates that he's locked in this facility, unable to get out because he doesn't know the special code for the doors. So, he sets out one day to kidnap him.

This really doesn't feel like a traditional children's book. When I read these, I imagine them from the perspective of the godchildren I've read to, and buy books for. It's too old for the 6-year old, and too young for the 9-year old. The illustrations are beautiful, certainly. Maybe it's different with the music, but I just don't follow it properly.

I think a story for children about grandparents with Alzheimer's ("The Great Forgetting") is extremely important. But I don't think this is it. For one thing, Max says:

<i>"To keep the Great Forgetting away from Grandfather when it tried to grab hold of him, it was sometimes enough to hug him tightly, offering nearness and security."</i>

I know this a simplification to help children when their loved ones don't know who they are anymore. But what happens when the relative doesn't get better from a hug? Or doesn't want to be hugged at all by this child?

My heart broke a little bit at that part.

I'm being overly critical, this really is a very sweet story of a grandfather and grandson spending stolen time together, and I will be listening to the music that goes with it after the audiobook was published.

I think I expected too much.

Super sweet heart warming tale. I think most children should read this whether they have a grandparent with the illness or not.

What a wonderful story. Max and his grandfather have a very special relationship, but his grandfather is in a nursing home and has the "Great Forgetting". Max does not want him to live so far away, he thinks he will never see him, so one day he skips school and heads to the Nursing Home. He is going to kidnap his grandfather and take him to his "Happy Place". The big problem is that another resident sneaks out with them. They head off to the meadow where Grandfather and Max lie looking at the sun and Mrs. Schneider dances.

This book evokes such extreme emotions. I smiled during the dancing bits and almost cried during the spots where grandfather does The Great Forgetting. There is a point in the book where Max mentions a fear he has and it caused me to feel overwhelmingly emotional. His grandfather's explanations is wonderful and easy for children to understand. I did not receive the audio CD with this book from Netgalley, but went out to youtube and found the musical accompaniment. Amazing match to the story. This could be a silent movie using the wonderful illustrations and the music.

This story could be read and enjoyed by anyone from about age 6 and up. The family bond and love, understanding dimentia or alzheimers, fear of losing a loved one and understanding of seniors are all dealt with in a compassionate, emotional way. I will need to purchase the book with the CD for my library at home.

This is a poignant story of young Max busting his grandfather from his nursing home for an afternoon of freedom. Each scene is accompanied by music from a CD included with the book. Unfortunately, there was no CD with the Netgalley.com e-book. I think it would be a lovely enhancement .and I would love to listen to the selections while reading the book. Although I found the story charming, I’m not sure for what reader it was written. The story of love, like the moon, often invisible but always there, provides comfort to Max as he contemplates his grandfather’s progressive memory loss. Certainly as an adult, I can relate to this message. It would take a very special child, however, to seek out this story. I think it more likely that an understanding adult would put this book in the hands of that special child.

*thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.
This is a sweet book about a little 9 yr old boy named Max who kidnaps his Grandfather and Miss Schneider from the nursing home and takes them on a little trip outdoors. His love for his Grandfather is very touching. Max worries about the day his Grandfather will loose his marbles like some of the other people in the nursing home, but Grandfather tells him he has nothing to worry about. I think this is somewhat important as im sure most little kids worry about their grandparents this way, that they suddenly wont be there. Miss Schneider is a funny little old lady, and the part where she runs away from the police and caregivers and gives a battle cry. Its a book that does pull at your heart strings but it also makes you smile. The drawings are really good aswell.

Wonderful story showing excitement, and a little suspense to make the reader wonder, what will happen next? The plot was outstanding! And the illustrations were so colorful and filled with exciting details along with beautiful summer-like days. I loved how the book opened with "This is the story of Max," a wonderful little boy who lived in a small town. What got me so interested in the story was the way the narrator started asking questions from the get go.The deep thought that Max had about longing on pages 4 and 5 really touched me too. Then, the best part of all was the plan of how Max could be with his grandpa. How will Max get away with it? Will someone find out and try to spoil his plan? It was amazing! I loved little Max and his grandpa! A marvelous heart-warming read that actually made me smile.

The first thing that comes to mind when reading this book is how heartwarming it is. I know it's common to associate children's books with this word, but in the case of <i> If My Moon Was Your Sun</i> I feel like it's a hundred times more fitting.
<i> If My Moon Was Your Sun</i> tells the story of Max, a boy who "kidnaps" his grandfather and takes him on an adventure, honoring the connection he Max feels with his grandfather, which has been hindered by his grandfather's relocation to a nursing home due to his developing Alzheimer. As the story progresses and the narrator reveals more about Max's plan and his relationship with his grandfather, we get to read a funny, bittersweet tale of someone who is aware that they might lose something really precious to them (their grandfather's love and recognition), and who just wants to spend more time with him before it's too late.
I only read the book, but I am sure that the accompanying audiobook and music will only make this tale more endearing, and charming. This is definitely the kind of tale that remains timeless and that you can read as a child (or to a child) and then revisit, only to discover more beautiful little gems of bittersweetness you might have missed on your first reading.
The art was amazing. The colors and simple shapes, as well as the depiction of Miss Schneider, grandfather, and Max, was so spot on that you could not imagine them looking any other way. I believe they complimented the book perfectly.
My favorite quote from this book was after Max reveals he is afraid of one day asking his grandfather "Do you remember?" and he will not, and the grandfather tells him "You can't always see the moon, but you know it's always there. Right?". Which ties to the title <i>If My Moon Was Your Sun</i> and just adds another bittersweet layer to this beautiful tale.

What a beautiful and tender story depicting the difficulty children have accepting and understanding the diminishing abilities of the ones they love. I loved this book. It would be a great read for any child faced with a grandparent with memory loss..

This is a beautiful story reminiscent of And Every Day the Walk Home Gets Longer. Written almost like a poem, the relationship between the boy and his grandfather will bring tears of happiness to your eyes.

I thought this was a lovely story about a young boy who is worried his grandfather won't remember him so takes him out of the care home he lives in and they go on an adventure together.

I thought the book was well written with the boy's thoughts and worried done in a realistic and simple manner, I also really liked the drawings throughout.

I assume the physical copy comes with a CD to play alongside it as there are track numbers throughout and track listing at the end which would add to the whole experience of reading it perfectly

Such a sweet sad, but beautiful book...my grandson and I both cried and I could barely read it at times. Well written and touched my heart in so many ways. .

I would like to note that this was supposed to come with an audiobook/music, but we do not get those when reviewing the book for free. I do feel like it makes us miss out on some of the emotion the author wants us to feel, as the audiobook/music goes with the text.

At about 37%, I was smiling, this so far has given me really good warm and fuzzy feelings. I am in love with the artwork. It's heartwarming and makes me happy. I do not know if I would call this a picture book. Sure, there are a lot of pictures, but just as much text or more. I feel like this book is good for any age, but when thinking about children, probably 7+ if the child is an avid reader and knows the love of a grandparent. They could surely relate to this story. I can relate, even as an adult. I feel like I would do something like Max did for a loved one if I knew I could get away with it and knew for sure there would be no dangers involved for anybody.

Whenever the grandfather does The Great Forgetting, I feel my stomach drop and I want to cry. It is so, so heartbreaking and Andreas Steinhofel writes this wonderfully. I am impressed with their writing style. It is beautiful and touching.

I smiled so much during the dancing bits. There are parts in this story that are cute and make me giggle, but then parts that make my heart hurt. There is a point in the book where Max mentions a fear he has and it caused me to feel overwhelmingly emotional. I love that this book invokes such emotions. To think, I just randomly found this for review on Netgally.

My final thoughts: I loved this. I would buy the final version. It's beautiful and I want the audiobook/music to complete my experience with this.

This is a book that is supposed to have music to accompany it. Without the music, the story seems flat, and boring, rather like drinking a soda that has been out of the bottle for too long. From what the notes say, the music works perfectly with the dances that everyone in this story does all over the place. But without the music, as I said, it is like watching a movie with the sound off.

The story itself is cute, a boy takes his father and his father's friend out of their nursing home to go on an adventure in the hills, where they dance, and have fun. That's about it.

Too wordy for a picture book.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

In Andeas Steinhöfel’s If My Moon Was Your Sun, 10-year-old Max decides to break his beloved grandfather, who has a bit dementia, out of his nursing home. Grandpa’s wily fellow patient Miss Schneider escapes, as well, and the trio go on day-long adventure. The book’s wonderful message, ably captured in Matthew O. Anderson’s translation from the original German, comes through in Steinhöfel’s prose and Nele Palmtag’s beautiful color illustrations Each chapter ends with a musical reference from Sergei Prokofiev’s A Summer Day or Georges Bizet’s Petite Suite. Sadly, my ARC did not come with the read-along CD audiobook that contains the 12 pieces. Highly recommended — and not just for the young.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Plough Publishing House in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely book about a grandson's love for his grandfather and how his "forgetting" (dementia) creates a fear of losing him. I liked the idea of the crow (black bird) showing up on most pages as a reminder of something dark lurking in the background. This book will touch the heart of adults as well as children.

This is a beautiful story about the love Max has for his grandfather. Max wants to spend happy times with his grandfather who has the Great Forgetting! So they run off from the nursing home and go to a special field where they can remember their love for each other! So beautiful!! I loved that the grandfather was constantly humming!

If My Moon Was Your Sun was a previous story of a very special relationship between a young boy and his grandfather. As the grandfather begins to struggle with Alzheimer's, Max begins to worry that his grandfather will forget him. Max sneaks his grandfather and one of his friends out of the nursing home for one last adventure. The special relationships spotlighted in this book eye absolutely beautiful and will be meaningful to many children.

Such a poignant story of a young boy who is very close to his grandfather. When his grandfather is put in a nursing home because he can no longer take care of himself, the boy helps him and another elderly woman escape for a day. The illustrations were so sweet. This book would make a great read for a child who's favorite grandparent is in a nursing home battling dementia. It can help them understand the age process for that person.

Fun story. Beautiful illustrations. An introduction to dementia for kids.