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ahexclamation's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful illustrations and such a heart felt way of expressing the loss that dementia causes.
stefaniejane's review against another edition
5.0
Perfection. A great visual way to explain Alzheimer's or dementia to young children, but also a well-devised story with great illustrations and a diverse family. Ugh, I cried immediately.
bickie's review against another edition
4.0
Addresses dementia of a loved one (in this case, a grandfather) in a sweet, accessible way. People (and a dog) carry around balloons with them with special memories of their lives; grandpa's start getting snagged and one by one fly away. It's devastating when the silver balloon with the boy's favorite memory of his grandfather is no longer part of the grandfather's collection; he can't believe the grandfather let it go. Eventually, the grandfather's remember balloons are added to the boy's, gently showing how stories are passed from generation to generation. I think it would be hard to read this one aloud without crying, but very good for a child struggling to understand a loved one with dementia.
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
5.0
If you're not prepared to cry, this isn't the book for you...I WEPT. A very sweet book about James and his grandfather and the connection they have over balloons (or memories). James' grandfather starts to lose his balloons, but James has valued them so much that he can retell his grandfather the stories behind all of the balloons and help him keep them. If you know someone who has suffered from memory loss (Alzheimer's, dementia, etc.) this book will absolutely crush you in the best way.
jaij7's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent way to explain memories and memory loss to children and even adults too.
mnstucki's review against another edition
4.0
Such fun illustrations! A great way to concretely represent memories to explain aging/dementia/Alzheimer's to kids.
katscribefever's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my word this book HURTS. It's stunning, but it hurts so badly. Well done, Oliveros.
mamabearian's review against another edition
5.0
In this book, every person (and animal) carries their memories around in colorful balloons. When they forget, the balloons float away. Grandpa has been losing a lot of balloons lately, which worries his grandson.
Any type of dementia or memory loss can be scary for a young child to witness. I had a grandparent who had very severe dementia when I was young, which was at times a very hard concept to grasp, and led to some confusing experiences during visits to the nursing home.
Although it is sad, this is a beautiful book about memory loss, and makes for a tender way to explain it to children who may be witnessing a family member or someone else who is close to them go through it.
Any type of dementia or memory loss can be scary for a young child to witness. I had a grandparent who had very severe dementia when I was young, which was at times a very hard concept to grasp, and led to some confusing experiences during visits to the nursing home.
Although it is sad, this is a beautiful book about memory loss, and makes for a tender way to explain it to children who may be witnessing a family member or someone else who is close to them go through it.
beths0103's review against another edition
5.0
What a perfect book to talk to children about the confusion and heartbreak of watching a relative suffer from Alzheimer's.