Other Words for Nonno (-) by Dave Cameron, Yong Ling Kang
Published by Kids Can Press ISBN: 1525305751
Genres: Humor, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Mental Health
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Other Words for Nonno is a heartfelt story about the relationship between a girl named Jill and her grandfather, whom she calls, “Nonno.” What they bond over, as they walk around their town, is the power of words and different wordplay.

Jill gets excited and announces, “Seaplane!” as they sit by the water. Nonno says, “I do see a plane.” There are many examples of different words and meanings until Jill realizes that Nonno has days where he cannot remember certain words. Because Nonno is experiencing memory loss, Jill writes words down on paper and tapes them around town where they take their strolls. There are soft watercolor illustrations that are comforting as we learn more about Nonno’s good days and bad days. At the end of their stroll, Nonno writes his own card on paper with the word, “Us” and tapes it to an antique store window where there’s a mirror that they often stop and look at themselves in.

This is a great choice for children who have grandparents experiencing memory loss. It’s also a great choice for children who are interested in wordplay. Recommended for ages 3+.

Reviewed by Gia Pilgrim Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath