The book is perfect for children and adults. It's emotional and sweet and illustrations are beautiful. A real gem among picture books! And having a CD with this book is just a plus!

This book was so heartfelt, and very poignant. It was a great way to expose this type of situation to my children. The illustrations are beautiful and the writing is lovely.

Very reminiscent of "Grandpa's Great Escape" but less humorous and with more heed to character development. Cute illustrations.

Oh my, this was an amazing children's book.



I don't think that it would be appropriate for younger children--I don't know if they would be able to understand the depth of emotions and thoughts that are expressed in this book. It would be perfect for upper elementary and up especially those that are living with and processing through "the Great Forgetting" of a loved one. This book will make you want to cry--it is beautifully written.



Sam escapes with his grandfather and another nursing home resident to visit a special place to his grandfather because of the deep longing for his presence. While their escape is being made the profound love and care that transcends forgetfulness...is sweet and deep.



My favorite part of the book, and presumably where the title comes from, is when the grandson tells his grandfather that the thing that he fears the most is the time that his grandfather will not remember him anymore. The grandfather, touches his grandson's head, and tells him that like the sun and moon's movements that is what his remembering is like. It may not always be seen, but the memories are still there.



This was an excellent book. Better than I anticipated.

With cozy, clever, bright-colored drawings that evoke a sense of home and comfort and the endearing love of a boy for his grandfather who is in a care home due to dementia. (The CD audiobook and music were not provided so this review is based solely upon the text.) Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.

I have mixed feeling about this book. I wanted to like it, but there seemed to be a lot of adult influances, such as jokes about kissing, and old people being 'kooky' and a mention of "butterflies teetered drunkenly", I wouldn't recommend using drunkenly in a children's book. I also don't like the thought that if this happened in real life, it could turn out really bad! (Yes I know it's not supposed to be taken seriously, but making the cops come find you is not my idea of funny.)

But then again, it was a fun story, and the art work, both brilliantly colorful, and slightly exaggerated, fit perfectly with the tone of this story. I liked the characters, and at the story tries to gently teach children about what happens when people get older, and their minds no longer work right all the time.

So overall I liked the writing and characters, but some of the humor and describing words could have been better handled.

This is beautiful example of how you don't need a lot of words to express the love. Short books can do wonders.

I felt this book so closely. The whole idea of longing, loving and being there is so important and often neglected in today's time. And I loved how this book dealt with it by comparing it with the phenomenon of sun and moon.

I'm very attached to my grandfather as well. So, this book was In literal sense the best depiction of fear I have of loosing him one day.

Loved it!

This beautifully written book will certainly tug at your heartstrings. It oozes with love and acceptance and gives a child a glimpse of what it is like to have a beloved grandparent in his life who is experiencing dementia. It highlights a very special relationship and strong bond of love between Max, who is nine years old, and his grandfather who is in their small town nursing home because unfortunately his memory is deteriorating.

Max takes it upon himself one day to skip school and to visit that nursing home with the intention of kidnapping his grandfather and spending the entire day with him just like old times, (if they are not apprehended of course). Yes, you heard correctly, Max wills to be his grandfather's liberator.

He manages to free his grandfather (and another resident, Miss Schneider, who eagerly follows the duo out the door too). He puts them safely on a bus and together they head to a very familiar summer meadow to relax and enjoy each other's company. Grandfather loves to hum classical music such as Brahms, Schubert, and Mozart and he and Max revel in their love for each other throughout the time they spend there.

The meadow is the first place that grandfather kissed his grandmother and it was there he proposed marriage to her. Max and grandfather laze in the grass and chat away, while Miss Schneider dances in the sunlight, recalling her early days of being a dance instructor.

Will Max and his entourage be discovered and will everyone be returned safely to the nursing home without incident? Will he be in trouble for carrying out such a dastardly deed?

This book is a perfect catalyst to start a conversation with your child about dementia. Even though memories fade and are sometimes completely lost, the strong thread of love prevails forever in their loved ones' hearts. It includes a CD audiobook featuring classical music for children by George Bizet and Sergei Prokofiev. I highly recommend this book be available in classrooms, libraries, and of course individual homes. The book adds a touch of humour to a very heartbreaking and very sad story regarding a person with Alzheimer's. I highly recommend this book.

This is a sweet, sad book about a grandfather with dementia and his grandson who desperately wants to save him. Even sensitive children would get a lot out of this book, especially those who may be dealing with the same situation. The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is special, even when they stop remembering.

A quick read that I really enjoyed. The story of a little boy kidnapping his grandpa for a day of adventure made me smile. Max doesn't fully understand what is wrong with his grandpa and wants a day to create memories. Just lovely.

A touching story about a boy and his grand-dad. Children take notice of the world around them, maybe later when they grow up into teenagers they are less a tune because of all the craze about mobile devices. Nevertheless, young kids do pay attention and are perceptive to changes in their family dynamic, so these kinds of books remind adults that children do notice what is going around, and these books also offer adults a channel to reach their children. Beautiful story and lovely pictures.

I love that the author has included a CD of classical music, this will really engage children and help them understand the story. The illustrations are soft and delicate which matches the story very well. This definitely gets a big thumbs up from me and I shall be keeping a look out for it on its release date.

This book is exceptional! As I read about Max and his grandfather, I felt my heart swell and fill to the brim with love. Love is, after all, at the very center of this wonderful story. Love is its North Star and what tugs Max toward his grandfather again and again. This book is beautifully illustrated and poetically written. It is truly an edition to treasure and to revisit any time you need a reminder of all that is good and kind in life.

Really simple written and beautiful story about a connection shared between a grandfadher and a grandson.
Usually we see a generation gap between a 'new' and 'old' generation, but in this story there isn't one. This is a story about the power of love and also about the fear of the unknow (the future and oblivion).
And, in the end, there is an true and simple truth about life and love, followed with great but simple illustrations and also the powerfull music behind the story.

If My Moon Was Your Sun is an ethereal look at the beautiful relationship between a grandson and his grandfather. It is ephemeral at best as Max's grandfather has Alzheimer's Disease and his memory is fading. The adventure begins when Max kidnaps his grandfather from the nursing home, and Miss Schneider, also suffering from the disease, tags along as they sneak out to explore. The read along CD audiobook will help the younger child read the book and the music included in the CD audiobook is a wonderful accompaniment to the book. The book with its colorful illustrations that capture Max's tale so poignantly. Max can tell he is losing his grandfather and has taken the situation into his own hands to clutch onto the grandfather he has known and loved for perhaps just one more time. It is deep, yet lighthearted in both the meadow and in the character of dancing Miss Schneider, and how Max and his grandfather lie down in the meadow and just enjoy the moment. It is heavy when grandfather asks "Who are you?" This is the perfect book to help explain to children dementia, its effects, and how it does not erase the years of love, even when the person does not remain the same. Highly recommended for school and public libraries, grief counselors, child psychologists, family counselors, medical libraries, and to have on hand at nursing homes. This is a touching book that tastefully handles a delicate topic with grace and dignity, and a wry touch of humor.

I don't usually read children's books, unless me nephew, Roman, 2, comes up to me and demands for me to read them. Usually I get a page or two before he runs off and picks out another one. That's about all.

But tomorrow my other nephew, Joshua, 6, is going to sign up to receive his first library card. Josh likes to read - the other day I sat while he read Aladdin at me. And that got me thinking about all these books out there, waiting and ready for him to discover. I've been a reader all my life, and all I can do is hope and gently encourage him for having that same passion.


If My Moon Was Your Sunis written in such beautiful prose. It may be a children's book but it was deeply thoughtful and beautifully written. It's not too over the top; it's simple, easy to read and understand, while at the same time encouraging intelligence of the reader and for them to think. For young children, whose minds are open to so much information, it's important to treat them like they're smart and they're not stupid. This book does exactly that; it engages in a conversation.

You closed your eyes, you breathed deeply in and out, and in no time at all you felt rooted and alive.


This book tells the tale of a young boy, Max, breaking his Grandfather out of the Nursing Home. This is written with the view of a scared boy whose afraid of losing his best friend, his protector, his Grandfather. It's from a boy who wants adventure. It's about loving.

"That someday I'll ask, do you remember? and you won't remember anymore.
And that someday . . . someday you will forget how much you love me."

"Max. Don't be afraid. You don't need to be afraid of anything, my boy."



So this small book is beautiful, and I love the message of loving and comfort it sends through via the relationship of Max and his Grandfather. I don't think I got the best reading experience that I could have as I didn't listen to the audio BUT having said that, the book was still amazing without it.

A small boy concocts a plan to "rescue" his grandfather, trapped in a nursing home with locked doors. They spend a carefree day in the country, along with another (inadvertent) escapee. A touching story that captures the sense of helplessness and nostalgia of two elderly nursing home residents--along with their acceptance of life as it's becoming. Five stars.

There are so many things to love about this title. Through Max's kidnapping of his grandfather, you can share a story about love, patience, caring, acceptance, kindness, and sacrifice with your children.

I loved this story! I only had the words, but the words do stand alone just fine. That said, when I realized there was music to go along with the story, I was happy about that as well. I helped me see Ms. Schneider dancing and other action oriented parts. A lovely story about a family situation (dementia) that all to many of us have to deal with.

This is a sweet story about a young boy who 'kidnaps' his grandfather from a nursing home. This emphasises the loving and special relationship that children have with their grandparents, which I'm sure many will be able to relate to. There is a really good balance of text to illustrations, the illustrations drawn in such a way that they look like drawing that could have been done by children - clearly they have not been, but this adds to the relatability of the book. There is an audio CD to accompany the book, consisting of classical music as well as narration, so it is difficult to fully consider the merits of this book without that accompaniment. On the whole though, this is a lovely heart-warming tale for young readers. My only gripe is one of aesthetics, and that is the large chunks of white space at the bottom of the pages with just text, as this makes it look unfinished and as though they were short on words.