Dear Kathleen, Heard a new song. We'll sing it together this summer! Oops, almost forgot. The song is called "Danny Boy." Such a fine name! A poignant story about the changing relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter as he succumbs to Alzheimer's disease Grandpa Danny sang bass, and Kathleen sang the high notes. That was the summer that Kathleen learned about listening with the heart and not the ears. But when it was time for her to visit with Grandpa Danny again, Gramps wasn't himself-he forgot things, and sometimes his mind seemed to be covered in clouds. Still, even on Grandpa Danny's most shadowy of days, Kathleen knew that when she sang "Danny Boy" he was listening with his heart. This poignant story about love and devotion will touch the hearts of readers young and old alike. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 3-5-In August of 1915, Kathleen and her family spend two fun-filled weeks with Grandpa Danny. They sing "Danny Boy," rock on the porch swing, drink root-beer floats, and annoy the neighbors. However, things are different when they visit in 1916; Grandpa Danny has grown forgetful, and when the summer ends he comes to live in Kathleen's house. His memory steadily declines, but the girl knows her grandfather is still in there, and that on his "shadowy" days, she can sometimes pull his head out of the clouds with music. Karim's sympathetic characters occupy a universe that seems simpler in some ways (there is no question that the family will care for Danny at home) and perhaps more frightening in others (his affliction is not identified). The story's dominant themes of distance, loneliness, and loss appear in the title, in the lyrics of Grandpa's favorite song, and most obviously when he gets lost in Kathleen's house. Still, she always helps him find his way back, however briefly. Rand's pencil, watercolor, and acrylic art depicts the period with warmth and detail.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Reviewed with Maria Shriver's What's Happening to Grandpa?0 PreS-Gr.3. Written from a child's viewpoint, these two picture books tell the story of a beloved grandfather with Alzheimer's disease. In Faraway Grandpa0 , set nearly a century ago, Kathleen visits her Grandpa Danny every summer, and they have uproarious fun together. He loves shenanigans, he teases her, and together they bellow out his song from Ireland, "Danny Boy." But one year, he forgets that she's coming, and eventually he comes to live with her family. He hides in her closets and does other silly things. He makes trouble with the neighbors, and he even forgets her name. But he remembers things from long ago, and always, he and Kathleen share the melancholy song. The old-fashioned setting distances the story, but it also shows that the illness is not new. In Rand's warm, pencil-and-watercolor paintings and Karim's short, unrhymed lines the quiet scenarios of hurt and humiliation and heartfelt love tell the truth. In contrast, Shriver's characters are absolutely perfect, and her scenarios are pure bliss. Gushy words and misty pastel illustrations depict family members across three generations as unfailingly kind, strong, and understanding. Young Kate is "curious, sensitive, and wise beyond her age," and Grandpa had an "absolutely happy" life. Yet how supportive is this scenario when a child trying to cope with a beloved, ailing grandparent feels (and sees family members feeling) irritation, anger, and guilt? There will be many requests for this; it has been widely promoted and endorsed by Nancy Reagan. But the purposive story isn't what works; it's the information woven into the fiction. The clear facts about the disease, what to expect (Will Mom get it? Will Kate?), and how to cope are supported by an excellent list of resources and organizations to contact. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2004 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.