A lovely story about a difficult topic. The illustrations and descriptions of the recipe made me hungry and the sweetness between the family made me miss my own. Planning a pasta dinner with my family asap.

What a delicious read. The illustrations really convey the heartwarming family bonds shared by the little girl with her grandparents. It's going to make you want to cook spaghetti and meatballs, while learning a few words in Italian.

I'm so glad that I chose to read this book. It was sweet and meaningful. It's about a grandpa who suffers from memory loss struggling to remember his granddaughter. The power of memory is truly remarkable and I feel that we can all learn to slow down and spend time with those closest to our hearts. We never know how much of an impact we can have on someone's memory. Kids will love this book and feel like they are experiencing each moment with all the characters. Even a recipe is involved with this book, which is a bonus for me as a mom.

Love Always, Catherine

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Two Lions and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book to read and review. This one was equal parts precious and heartbreaking - it's simultaneously a story about a child learning their family's traditional recipes through cooking with their grandparents, as well as navigating a grandpa having Alzheimer's. We're not sure if grandpa will remember anyone in his family very well, but grandma has hope that the smells and tastes of her delicious meatballs may be able to spark some kind of comforting memory beyond words. It's a story of togetherness. Along with taking in the recipes myself, I was rooting for this family along the way!

This sad but heartwarming picture book is about a little girl who loves spending time with her Italian grandmother and grandfather. Her grandfather has dementia and doesn't always remember who she is, but they continue to connect over their shared traditions.

The writing throughout this book is excellent, with vivid descriptions of the ingredients and cooking process as the characters make spaghetti and meatballs. The illustrations are really beautiful, and add a lot to the story. The book also introduces some Italian words and phrases, has an author's note about this story's real-life inspiration, and includes family recipes.

I love stories about grandparents and grandchildren. It is such a special bond to share. This one is equal parts sweet and sorrowful as Boo Boo Doll spends time with her grandparents making Spaghetti and Meatballs and hoping to spark some recognition from her grandfather, whose mind isn't what it used to be. The story touches on how difficult it is for children to understand complicated diseases of the mind. There are themes of love, hope, empathy and family that are all important for young children. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and lend so much to the story. I appreciate the author's willingness to share family recipes.

A heartfelt intergenerational story about love, memory, and the joy of cooking food together. Lyrical text and beautiful, warm illustrations. Sprinkled with Italian words and sensory details throughout.

This is such a sweet book, a touching and uplifting story of family traditions. A young girl makes spaghetti sauce and meatballs with her grandparents. It is a gentle explanation of Alzheimer’s to a young child. I love the beautiful illustrations. Recommended!

A beautiful tale of family tradition in the kitchen, intertwined with a grandpa’s Alzheimer’s and his granddaughter and wife cooking with great hope. The Italian words, the font, the beautiful illustrations, and the recipes at the end, make it all a well wrapped up picture book, perfect to both start conversations about the disease but also to get the kids cooking.

Thank you net galley for this book. This is perfect for kindergarten age children .The illustrations were amazing and descriptive.It also showed that grandparents may not remember who we are until something familiar reminds them.The granddaughter makes spaghetti with her grandmother .At first grandpa does not remember the little girl.Grandma says all they need are smells.Once everything is ready and grandma smells it then he remembers the girl.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

As someone who lost their grandfather at a young age, I enjoyed reading this story of a child having a good relationship with their grandfather. It touched my heart. Thankfully, I have been able to have a close relationship with my grandma. I also love food, and know food can bring people together and make lasting memories. The illustrations were charming.

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Fun and bright illustration help express the story of grandparents and a granddaughter making meatballs and spaghetti together. The grandfather has dementia and cannot fully recognize his granddaughter, so she and her grandma cook meatballs with a mission to help grandpa remember. This could be a great resource to help children with loved ones experiencing memory lose. At the beginning there is a guide to the Italian words used and at the end the recipes for meatballs and spaghetti sauce are shared.

Meatballs for Grandpa by Jeanette Fazzari Jones, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, is a sweet, cozy story of a young girl making spaghetti with her grandma and grandpa. The story is a layered piece that dives into mental illness, family, old age, and love that is perfectly blended with onomatopoeia and developmentally appropriate language.

My favorite part of this book is how it is a visually beautiful story on making food with loved ones. The illustrations do a great job at lifting the words off of the page and making the book come to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Two Lions for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

E niente sono in Una valle di lacrime... Questa storia per ragazzi seppur breve mi. Ha profondamente commosso. Anche se racconta una storia semplice All interno fa vedere com è il rapporto tra un anziano quando purtroppo è malato di Alzheimer ma in un mondo. Così dolce e delicato che non è possibile non commuoversi... Poi che meraviglia le ricette alla fine... E ricordate tutto quello che ci serve è.... Taste smell but also love of who we loved

This story was bittersweet. I think it will be very useful in preparing children for dealing with a grandparent with Alzheimer’s. I loved the Onomatopoeia used in the illustrations. The author used language that made the story come alive! The illustrations were beautiful! I would gladly showcase this book on my shelf!

This touching book about a girl and her grandparents will be added to my classroom collection. When the girl’s grandfather’s memory starts to decline, she and her grandparents continue with their weekly meatball making tradition. Sometimes their ritual brings back moments of clarity and I love that food brings them together.

A little girl loves making meatballs with her grandparents and especially her grandpa. It’s a way she can connect with him since he has Alzheimer’s. You can tell the girl loves her grandparents very much.

I received an electronic ARC from Two Lions through NetGalley.
A beautifully written story about a young girl who visits her grandparents often. Readers see the hope in her eyes as they make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Sadly, her grandfather has Alzheimer's and does not always remember who she is. It's through the taste and smell of the sauce and meatballs that he regains some of his memories and recognizes his granddaughter.
Fazzari Jones treats this topic with sensitivity and captures the gamut of emotions. She shares in a manner elementary level readers will connect with. The artwork is brightly colored and offers a warm and encouraging balance.

I adored Meatballs for Grandpa! It is a great title to help kids understand dementia and other cognitive impairment conditions. It was also great to see although sometimes people struggle with the disease there are still very easy ways that children can interact and love on those with dementia.

This made me teary. It's a lovely ode to food, the specialness of the grandparent/grandchild relationship, and Italian families. The illustrations are just beautiful and it tackles an adult topic (a grandparent's struggle with Alzheimer's/dementia) from the perspective of a child beautifully. My beloved great-Aunt suffered from dementia for many years and there were indeed times when taste and smell brought her back to us. I also want to try the author's family recipe, which looks delicious!

I am preordering immediately.

Thank you ever so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for sharing an ARC of Meatballs for Grandpa.