Phyllis & Grace by Nigel Gray and Bethan Welby

For children of any age who have a relative, friend or neighbour living with Alzheimer’s disease, this thoughtful and gentle picture book will be a wonderful read to deal with understanding the progression and complexities surrounding the disease. Grace is young girl who lives next door to Phyllis and regularly visits her with homemade biscuits, cake and jelly. They share similar interests and Grace copes well with the forgetfulness, mouldy food and confusing stories from the past. Over time it becomes clear that Phyllis’s memory is continuing to fade, she is struggling to be home alone, and eventually she is placed in a nursing home. Grace, who has a strong bond and a beautiful friendship with Phyllis, continues to visit her where they talk about Phyllis' love of horse riding. This leads to an opportunity for Grace to ride Phyllis’s old horse Starbright, which Grace is able to share with Phyllis through photos.

The charming illustrations in soft pastels tones combined with the sensitive text will make this a valuable and important read with children who may not understand what might be happening to an elderly acquaintance.

Themes: Memories, Alzheimer’s disease, Relationships, Neighbours.

Kathryn Beilby