Newspaper Hats

Kids will relate to this well, and I liked the storytelling and the illustrations. However, it might be a bit too ambiguous for children.

We all want to be remembered. Memory is who we are. Those who share memories are linked to us in special ways.

In this picture book, the young child goes to visit her grandfather in an assisted care facility (which used to be known as an old folks home), where he has forgotten her. She seems aware that his memory is going, and keeps asking her father if her grandfather will remember her when they get together.

In a sweet, short, picture book, we go through the memories of her grandfather, and what he does remember, until they reconnect over how they used to make paper hats together. That helps him to remember her, as they make the hats anew, and share them with their fellow citizens.

So, this book is for those of us whose elderly parents or grandparents are still around, but are forgetting with senility or Alzheimer's. My grandmother forgot most everything, as my mother is now, though not quite so much, so this hits very close to home. This would be good for all of us, and is excellent and sweetly told for the grandchildren who are losing their grandparent because of their memory.

I believe this is an excellent resource for children's who are dealing with a memory loss disease in their family, and is also a very enjoyable read with nice accompanying illustrations. I would have liked to see the paper hats linked to a previous memory, but the connections to other memories in the Grandfather's life is well done.

This short and poignant picture books deals with the subject matter very delicately and really well. I hope that it can be used for families to explain more about the illness as it must be hard for children to understand why a loved one doesn't remember them.

* About the art:
The artwork is in a soft and light pastel-coloured style (as opposed to loud, bright and vibrant). There's more of a gentle and more serious feel to the vibe of the book because of the artwork. It's beautifully drawn in a realistic style in coloured pencils (and possibly watercolour too).

* About the writing & story:
I liked that the writing was quite artistically rich for a picture book, with similes and such (eg "Georgie walked through the doors that opened like curtains" - referring to automatic sliding doors).
The story is just a slice of life, showing the experience of one girl, Georgie, as she visits her grandfather at an old people's home. Her grandfather has Alzheimer's disease and doesn't remember her, but he remembers other things. Because it's a slice of life story, there isn't really a strong conclusion to it and I felt it ended a little abruptly. I wonder if, for a children's book, it would have been helpful for the story to have some sort of strong, clear wording to carry the overall message in a very clear way, eg adding something like: "You grandfather may not remember who we are sometimes, Georgie." said dad, "But he remembers lots of other things, like how to make paper hats! And we can make them together and can still have fun together!" - as the conclusion.

* About what it teaches:
I guess it just shows children what it's like to interact with a relative with Alzheimer's disease who may not remember who they are. And it shows that you can still do fun activities together, like making origami paper hats.

* Overall: 3.5/5 Lovely artwork and what felt like a promising story - just a shame it ended so abruptly and feels somewhat unfinished - I was longing for more!

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher in connection with NetGalley & the publisher in return for my review. Copyright © 2016 Laura Hartman

Newspaper Hats is an uplifting picture book about a little girl and her grandfather. She visits him in the assisted living home and even though he cannot remember her, he can remember something they used to do together; make newspaper hats.

The love between the two of them is heart-breaking yet beautiful. I highly recommend this picture book for children who have a loved one that has dementia. The situation can be scary for some kids, but this book will help them connect with the "new" person their loved one has become.

Owen Swan's illustrations are simply elegant and pair perfectly with the story.

Newspaper Hats is a delicately written book that deals with a memory loss illness, from a child's point of view. The story isn't too detailed, or 'deep', but it touches on the child's emotions in a gentle way that the reader will easily understand. It's a bit of a tear jerker, though...so be forewarned.

The illustrations are beautifully done and help tell the story. I feel that this book would be nice to share with children, so as to help them to understand that they aren't alone in dealing with someone with memory loss....nor are they unloved, even if they are mentally forgotten.

Wonderfully done, Phil Cummings. I look forward to reading more from you in the future.

This is a touching story of a little girl interacting with her grandfather who has Alzheimer's. When Georgie and her father go to visit her grandfather she is wondering if he will remember her. He remembers things from long ago like when he and his brother are little, baking with his mother and even his time in the war, but does not seem to remember Georgie. Using pictures in his room and the newspapers he has around they make paper hats to help him remember things. They give hats to the other residents and have a happy afternoon. Dealing with a loved one with Alzheimer's is tough for adults but it is even harder for children to understand. This story gently shows how they can interact with grandpa or whoever it may be, and still enjoy their company even if they do not remember them. This is a great book to read aloud to young children who have a loved one with Alzheimer's but also is a good book for adults to use to show them how they can speak to their children and help them to understand as well. This is a great book to have in public libraries for families to access, perhaps a section on dealing with various difficult issues that children need support with.

Through wonderful word choices and descriptive language, Phil Cummings lovingly conveys Georgie’s perspective, rooted in genuine childhood innocence, as well as the memories that Georgie’s grandfather is able to recall – his life in earlier days.

Although her grandfather never directly answers her when she asks whether he knows who she is, we see that Georgie has a special connection with him, nonetheless, through their mutual love of making newspaper hats – a memory that remains, giving them something in common onto which they can each hold.

Newspaper Hats is a story to be treasured; one that addresses a sensitive subject in a very respectful, thoughtful, and special way that preserves the dignity of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

This is a sad but touching story. Grandpa is in a special place for people who can not remember their grandkids, or sometimes even their kids. Georgie, asks grandpa if he remembers her. They talk about the things he does remember. And he remembers paper hats. Together they make some new hats, and have a day of fun.
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Newspaper Hats is a touching story. Georgie’s grandfather is losing his memory and sometimes doesn’t even remember her. She and her father go to visit him in the nursing home and Georgie asks her grandpa if he remembers her. Grandpa looks at the photos in his room and tells her some of the things he does remember. Finally she picks up a photo of Grandpa, Georgie and her dad where Georgie is wearing a paper hat. Grandpa does remember how to make paper hats and it provides a connecting point for the family.

It’s a gentle story that I think would be nice to read with kids who are dealing with a similar situation as Georgie, where someone in their family can’t remember as well as they used to, whether it be to due to Alzheimer’s or something else. It can be tough for adults to see someone losing their memory, but it’s difficult for kids to and they have less understanding about what is going on. This story show that even if someone can’t remember you exactly, you can still cherish the time you have with them.

Sometimes it is the simplest of things that help us reconnect to our loved ones as shown in Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings. This is touching tale of a granddaughter visiting her grandfather who seems to have some degree of Alzheimer's. I loved the way Georgie continues to talk with her grandfather, not giving up on him. The bond that they find is enough even though Georgie’s grandfather never answers her original question.

The illustrations give the impression of a light touch with is the same feeling evoked in Georgie’s dealings with her grandfather. While this story is enjoyable and enlightening on its own, also it would lead easily into discussions on the issues of aging, not only behavioral changes but environmental changes too. It is a lovely thought provoking book.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.

Bittersweet story about a grandparent's memory loss.