grandfather

Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion

peacockMuch has been written about war and remembrance, but very little of it has been for young children. As questions come from a young grandchild, his grandpa talks about how, as a very young man, he was as proud as a peacock in uniform, busy as a beaver on his Atlantic crossing, and brave as a lion charging into battle. Soon, the old man’s room is filled with an imaginary menagerie as the child thinks about different aspects of wartime. But as he pins medals on his grandpa’s blazer and receives his own red poppy in return, the mood becomes more somber.

Outside, the crowd gathered for the veterans’ parade grows as quiet as a mouse, while men and women — old and young — march past in the rain. A trumpet plays and Grandpa lays a wreath in memory of his lost friend. Just then, the child imagines an elephant in the mist. “Elephants never forget,” he whispers to his grandpa. “Then let’s be elephants,” says the old man, as he wipes water from his eyes and takes his grandson’s hand.

Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion has relevance to a growing number of families, as new waves of soldiers leave home.

Grandfather’s Story Cloth

Chersheng’s grandfather is beginning to forget things: little things like turning off the water faucet and big things like Chersheng’s name. Sometimes he even forgets that he is in America now. Chersheng feels sad and helpless when he learns that Grandfather has Alzheimer’s Disease, but then Chersheng’s mother presents him with a story cloth stitched by Grandfather himself, embroidered in the Hmong tradition. Through the story cloth, Grandfather’s memories of his life in Laos come alive. And inspired by Grandfather’s tales about his life before the war forced him to immigrate to America, Chersheng comes up with a plan to capture his family’s new life with his own art project. This way, they can all remember that their love is stronger than Alzheimer’s Disease, no matter in which country they live. This volume is an English-Hmong edition.

The Last Gold Diggers

In this sequel to “The Last Polar Bears”, Grandfather and his demanding, but delightful, dog Roo journey to Australia in search of Uncle Vincent, last heard of prospecting for gold. Their adventures are told in letters sent back to Grandfather’s grandchild.

Monsoon Afternoon

It is monsoon season in India. Outside, dark clouds roll in and the rain starts to fall. As animals scatter to find cover, a young boy and his dadaji (grandfather) head out into the rainy weather. The two sail paper boats. They watch the peacocks dance in the rain, just as the colorful birds did when Dadaji was a boy. They pick mangoes and Dadaji lifts up his grandson so he can swing on the roots of the banyan tree, just as Dadaji did when he was young. Finally, when the two return home, hot tea and a loving family are waiting.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 1

Manolito Four-Eyes: The 2nd Volume of the Great Encyclopedia of My Life

Ten-year-old Manolito recounts further exploits in his small Madrid neighborhood with his grandfather, his little brother “the Bozo,” and his school friends, including a shoplifting prank, recycled art, and the Filthy Feet Gang.

 

 

The Real Plato Jones

Thirteen-year-old Plato Jones comes to terms with his mixed heritage when he visits Greece and finds out about his Welsh grandfather, a World War II hero, and his Greek grandfather, who is rumored to have been a traitor.

Celebrating the Hero

Camilia Draper, an American teenager still feeling guilt and loss about her mother’s death, travels to her mother’s birthplace in Colombia for a ceremony celebrating her famous grandfather, about whom she will learn some disquieting and revelatory facts.

Grandfather’s Journey

A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather’s journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VII, Issue 4