This is a beautifully told story that will serve a much-neglected reader demographic: children whose lives have shifted, in one way or another, due to a beloved adult struggling with dementia.

This was a lovely read. I read this to my daughter (she is 2years old) for bedtime one night and she loved it. My grandmother, her great grandma who we call Gaga, has dementia. As my daughter grows, I believe this book will help her recognize that as our loved ones age, challenges arise, but we can always support them, just like Maria did with her Lolo.

Thank you to the author, Kids Can Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story based on a strong intergenerational bond does a stellar job of approaching a difficult subject (aging, ill health, memory loss) with sensitivity and making issues that could be frightening understandable for young children. It provides a good foundation for discussing changes like this with children, and the inclusion of a broader horizon with a bit of Tagalog - and of course the engaging illustrations - make it a winner for me.

Maria loves it when her grandpa draws for her. They both have such a wonderful imagination. Their love for each other is so strong. Lolo and Maria draw together every night. One day Lolo starts to not feel well and things start to change. Lolo becomes forgetful and can’t communicate.Maria is determined to help her grandfather. She remembers their love for drawing and is inspired to help him draw to communicate. I love this story for so many reasons. The show of love and compassion through the generations and the understanding between loved ones. This story is a wonderful, relaxed way to help little ones understand some of things our older generations go through as they age. Our family is starting this experience and I am so thankful to find a story that helps explain better than I can for our children. I loved the beautiful illustrations that really capture the emotions of the story. This is a wonderful book to share with your family!
1000 stars

Nicely handling a difficult, sensitive subject, this looks at a young girl seeing her grandfather lose his faculties. Their tie together is that they spend the evenings, him drawing and her watching and admiring the results, which also bring her Filipino existence and culture to life. But when he ails, he no longer draws – and eventually loses too much of his memory, of what he likes to eat, who people are – and even the words he's used for so long. How can he now express what it is he wants?

This is warming and positive – possibly too warming and positive, when considering the likely prognosis for the old man. But the pat tidiness of the ending here is just what a young person wants to reassure them, and this remains able to give off much delight – and a touch of the exotic, courtesy of the few Tagalog terms used, too. A strong four stars.

I really liked this book, it was packed with lovely illustrations that brought the story for Maria and her grandfather to life.

The book was really well written and I loved the way it dealt with the ill health and memory loss of Maria's grandfather. I read this book with my daughter and we both enjoyed it equally. I think it covered the topic very sensitively and could be used to talk about the subject with other children.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, very highly recommended!

Omg this book was absolutely amazing! This book completely blew me away and even made me tear up. This book deals with change, health issues and overcoming obstacles in a positive light. I loved this book from beginning to end. This is such a cute book to read with children. I will be buying this book as soon as it releases. Absolutely beautiful and the illustrations were so detailed and just mind blowing! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What an amazing story about the love of a lolo and his apo! With this being the first time I ever read a children’s book centering around a Filipino family, it not only partially healed my younger self who would’ve absolutely been in awe of seeing characters that looked like her and a storyline that she would’ve related to her, but it made this grandpa’s girl miss her grandpa a little extra today 🤍

The story was sweet and simple, yet it also touched on the importance of family and the hard truth of aging and the difficulties that come with it. For a young child, What Lolo Wants would be a great read with its easy to follow story and vivid illustrations.
However, for an adult, especially if they relate to the Filipino culture, it will pull at one’s heartstrings and have you appreciate your family even more 🥹🫶🏼

salamat sa lahat especially Cristina Oxtra, Jamie Bauza, Kids Can Press at Netgalley
para sa magandang ARC pagbabasa
(Thank you to everyone especially Cristina Oxtra, Jamie Bauza, Kids Can Press abd Netgalley for the great ARC read)

Oh man! How can I recover from reading this book? It's a heartwarming and tearjerking read. The mere mentioned of grandparent for me swoops me to my time with my lolo growing up. And not to mention the title that not just perks my curiosity but ultimately gravitates me to get this book. I'm MUST read this book.
As a Filipino that has an extended family, Lolos and Lolas are important. They're the real "second parents" (sorry teachers) of any children in the family. They are there if mommy and daddy are not available. The experience of a kid with his or her parents and grandparents are different but the impact are the same. Well I could go and go on with this and forget the review of this book so I'll cut and get back to my feedback.
The author and illustrator really brings the Filipino-ness in every pages. The author didn't rush the story but gave space on the relationship between Maria and the lolo before he (spoiler) got sick. Their relationship deepens with drawing and the author brings that back to help the lolo tell (spoiler) what he wants. Great storytelling!

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this book on NetGalley. What Lolo Wants is a bittersweet story about Maria and her grandpa (Lolo is grandpa in Tagalog). It might be confusing for children to see the changes in their families. In this case, it's because Lolo is affected by dementia. The time Maria spent with Lolo in such a jolly is replaced by his worse condition, to the point he couldn't name a food he wanted to eat. Hence, Maria found a creative way to help Lolo and at the same time to maintain her bond with her dear grandpa. That is what I love about this book, the way Maria dives into problem-solving mode. The illustration is so beautiful, it portrays the warm atmosphere in their family dynamic.

What Lolo Wants is a touching story about Maria and her grandfather (Lolo). They enjoy spending their evenings drawing together, but one day Lolo does not feel well. He soon starts forgetting people's names and the words to say. Maria then has an idea to help Lolo communicate. The illustrations are beautiful, and the bond between Maria and Lolo is sweet. The book has a great message of helping family members during times of change.

What Lolo Wants is a bittersweet story about Maria and her Lolo who love to draw together. However, Lolo gets sick and begins forgetting things - food, people, likes/dislikes... Maria wants to help find a way to help her Lolo communicate, and what proceeds is a story that made me feel all the feelings.

I loved this picture book. Changes can be scary for children (and adults!) and I love how this book approaches that conversation in a caring and loving way. The bond between Maria and her Lolo is so sweet - I can't wait to share this with my children!

"What Lolo Wants" tells the story of Maria and her grandfather, Lolo, who is losing his ability to communicate. Through vibrant drawings, we see how Maria finds a way to help her grandfather to communicate what he wants. Sweet story and hopeful message of how families can find ways to communicate with each other despite age and obstacles. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Pub Date: Oct 1, 2024.

#WhatLoloWants
#NetGalley

Absolutely touching and perfect book. Seeing a loved one be affected by Alzheimer's/dementia is difficult for little kids to understand and cope with sometimes. That's where this book comes in. It illustrates these conditions in an age-appropriate and descriptive way, and doesn't make kids too sad/scared, but rather allows them to understand and learn. At the same time, this story teaches kids to be creative problem-solvers in hard times, which is so important, especially for kids that are actively in a tough situation. I would like to note, though, that this book will not hold as much meaning for kids that cannot and will not relate to this. For example, this book will really only be the most meaningful to kids that are experiencing what Maria is experiencing. I don't see this book as having proactive (for lack of a better word) potential. It's a more specific book than that, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it just narrows the audience. Lastly, the illustrations were soft, but still full of life, which perfectly complemented the story.
Bravo!

Oh this book was just absolutely beautiful!! My kids loved it so much! It had the most beautiful meaning, wonderful pictures, and my four kids loved this bedtime book.

A heartfelt story about communication between generations. We follow a main character who enjoys spending time drawing with her beloved Lolo. When Lolo struggles to communicate orally, the young girl offers him some drawing materials in order to communicate his wants.

This story is illustrated beautifully, in a bight colour palette.