Sato the Rabbit
Before I Grew Up
Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost
Betina Birkjaer, illustrated by Anna Margrethe Kjaergaard, translated by Sinead Quirke Kongerskov
A beautiful, candid picture book for children to understand what happens when a loved one begins suffering from dementia, and how best to care for them.
A 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book
A Finalist for the 2022 Kirkus Prize in Young Readers’ Literature
A USBBY Outstanding International Book of 2022
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2022
A 2021 Penn Graduate School of Education Best Book for Young Readers
Gerontological Society of America Book Award for Best Children’s Literature on Aging of 2022, Honorable Mention
Stump loves being with his grandparents. His days with them are filled with flowers, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and so much love! But one day, Stump's grandfather starts to be forgetful, losing his words, which the illustrations how as falling away from him. Stump tries his best to keep his grandfather’s lost words safe, by collecting them in a special box. But Grandpa seems to forget more and more every day, and before long, Stump and Grandma realize that they must find new ways to connect with Grandpa, to maintain their bond of love and show him that he's not alone.
This poignant, tender picture book depicts the warmth of the relationship between grandchild and grandparents, as well as the struggle of coping with a loved one's dementia with honesty and sensitivity. Following the story, there is an afterword to the adult reader about dementia and recollection, written by the head of the Danish Center for Reminiscence, which provides some practical tips, such as those depicted in the story (familiar smells, sharing items from the past), for establishing a meaningful way of being together when caring for a relative with dementia.
Betina Birkjær made her debut as a children's author in 2014. She has a degree in drama and trained as a scenic artist. Since 2004, she has worked as performer, and since 2011 as an installation artist. Additionally, in 2005, she began working with the Spanish theater group called Teatro de Los Sentidos, and she is also the artistic director of Luna Park Performing Arts. This is Betina's first book to be published in the US. Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard is a well-established Danish illustrator. She trained at the Danish School of Design and Akademia Sztuk Pieknich in Poland. She has illustrated many stories, easy-readers, and picture books. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Danish Ministry of Culture’s illustrator award. Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov, Ph. D., is a Danish-to-English translator with many published translations. She is also secretary of the Association of Danish-English Literary Translators.
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