Overview

"After his beloved grandpa's health declines and he receives a diagnosis of dementia, a grandson must navigate the changes in their relationship. Through it all, he learns that Grandpa is still Grandpa, and their bond deepens and sweetens through a shared love of ice cream. Ice Cream with Grandpa is a loving, tender picture book that gently explores the topics of dementia, aging, and loss. Written from a child's point of view, it chronicles the changes in their relationship as his grandpa moves to assisted living, then memory care, and eventually hospice. Based on the author's own experience with her father and son, the touching story and beautiful illustrations by Elisabete B. P. de Moraes addresses these challenging topics with a kind, age-appropriate approach that will resonate with young readers-while providing tools to help children maintain meaningful relationships with loved ones with the disease. Includes a guide for parents on talking to kids about dementia, hospice, death, and grief by expert on grief and loss, Diane Snyder Cowan, MA, MT-BC, CHPCA. While the book specifically deals with Alzheimer's and dementia, its themes are universally applicable to helping children understand the changes in and loss of older relatives and loved ones. Praise for Ice Cream with Grandpa: Northern Lights Book Awards 2022 Winner - Health Category Maxy Award 2022 Children's Book Runner-Up ""A moving, effective resource for conversations in the face of dementia and loss."" -Kirkus Reviews ""Smetana pulls from personal experience, as detailed in an author's note, to deliver an approachable and realistic story brimming with well-researched, audience-conscious insight."" -Publisher's Weekly"

Full Product Details

9781737140924

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Smetana's vocabulary and descriptions seem true to a kid's experience, and the evenhanded story, which never denies emotions like sadness and frustration, is grounded in kindness. The boy's mother offers words of assurance throughout the tale, and the backmatter provides a guide written by a hospice administrator to assist parents who are steering their children through similar situations. The soft-edged, watercolor illustrations by de Moraes feature images of comfort and community; even in the difficult moments, there's a sense of love in the scenes. While discussions about illness and death are always challenging, the author's approach broaches the topics with care and sympathy. A moving, effective resource for conversations in the face of dementia and loss."" - Kirkus Reviews ""Smetana pulls from personal experience, as detailed in an author's note, to deliver an approachable and realistic story brimming with well-researched, audience-conscious insight."" - Publisher's Weekly ""As a child therapist and parent, I am grateful for this important resource. Through a beautiful story, Ice Cream with Grandpa acknowledges and validates a young child's experience of witnessing a beloved grandparent change through aging, dementia, and dying, and it supports and provides space for all of the emotions within the process. I appreciate the way the book also honors and celebrates that in the midst of all of the changes, the connection between the child and grandparent endures, artfully balancing grief and resiliency in a developmentally accessible way. The guide at the back complements and enriches the book by providing tools for parents to support children through grief, loss, and change."" - Stacey Patterson, LCPC, MT-BC, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Music Therapist ""This book will provide other families and children guidance during their journey of understanding the disease process and how to 'enter into their world.' We can't change the trajectory of dementia, but we can support all loved ones, patients, and families on their journey, even if it is as simple as sharing a love for ice cream. Beautifully written, with amazing illustrations. The added guide on how to talk to children is such a wonderful resource...for adults too!"" - Coni Nielson, APN, ACHPN, Advanced Certified Hospice & Palliative Nurse"

Smetana's vocabulary and descriptions seem true to a kid's experience, and the evenhanded story, which never denies emotions like sadness and frustration, is grounded in kindness. The boy's mother offers words of assurance throughout the tale, and the backmatter provides a guide written by a hospice administrator to assist parents who are steering their children through similar situations. The soft-edged, watercolor illustrations by de Moraes feature images of comfort and community; even in the difficult moments, there's a sense of love in the scenes. While discussions about illness and death are always challenging, the author's approach broaches the topics with care and sympathy. A moving, effective resource for conversations in the face of dementia and loss. - Kirkus Reviews As a child therapist and parent, I am grateful for this important resource. Through a beautiful story, Ice Cream with Grandpa acknowledges and validates a young child's experience of witnessing a beloved grandparent change through aging, dementia, and dying, and it supports and provides space for all of the emotions within the process. I appreciate the way the book also honors and celebrates that in the midst of all of the changes, the connection between the child and grandparent endures, artfully balancing grief and resiliency in a developmentally accessible way. The guide at the back complements and enriches the book by providing tools for parents to support children through grief, loss, and change. - Stacey Patterson, LCPC, MT-BC, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Music Therapist This book will provide other families and children guidance during their journey of understanding the disease process and how to 'enter into their world.' We can't change the trajectory of dementia, but we can support all loved ones, patients, and families on their journey, even if it is as simple as sharing a love for ice cream. Beautifully written, with amazing illustrations. The added guide on how to talk to children is such a wonderful resource...for adults too! - Coni Nielson, APN, ACHPN, Advanced Certified Hospice & Palliative Nurse

Author Information

Laura Smetana has fond memories of enjoying ice cream with her son and his grandpa, Laura's dad. Ice Cream with Grandpa: A Loving Story for Kids About Alzheimer's & Dementia was inspired by their relationship, before and after her dad developed Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. She has three generations of ice cream scoopers in her home-one from her grandpa, one from her dad, and one she got with her family in France. Each one brings back sweet memories with loved ones. Laura co-authored her debut children's book, Little Squiggle's Lake Adventure, with her son, Stirling Hebda. She lives with her family in the Chicago suburbs, where she is happily at work on several new books for kids. You can visit her at www.laurasmetana.com. Elisabete B. P. de Moraes loves to laugh. When she was a child, she looked forward to weekends when her grandfather came to visit and brought lots of candies. When she isn't illustrating picture books, you can find her streaming her favorite shows or sitting around the kitchen table with her family and friends, talking, laughing, and enjoying ice cream. Her favorite flavors are strawberry and salted caramel. Elisabete lives in Brazil with her husband, daughter, and their neighbor's cat, Cookie, who is always sneaking into their home. Soon they will have their own pet-they're just waiting for their daughter to decide between a dog, cat, swimming cow, or llama.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available