World Alzheimer's Day has been celebrated today, and it is a fantastic occasion for We all remember that people who suffer from this degenerative disease need the support and warmth of their own more than ever.
Surely for children who have a grandfather or grandmother affected, it will be very difficult to understand 'what happens to them', but what they will never forget that the love they have given them is still present despite forgetting, and that the elders need to be hugged and covered with kisses.
With the help of Espai Menut (a meeting place for families looking for leisure activities in Castellón), we want to offer you a list of stories offered by the Abacus cooperative. They all show different visions of Alzheimer's, where the protagonists are grandparents, grandchildren, and even some other animal that you will soon discover. 'At sunset' written by Jackeline de Barros, and published by MMC. In this album Mrs. Luisa is lost in her memories, and she does it through images full of strength. 'A current and painful issue, approached from the naive gaze of a child'.
'Grandma needs kisses' by Ana Bergua, edited by Proteus, aims to encourage respect for the elderly, presenting aging as something natural. 'My grandmother has Alzheimer's' presents us the relationship between Cristina and her grandmother, when she begins to forget the girl's name and do strange things, Cristina understands that although she does not know how to pronounce 'Alzheimer', her grandmother needs help. It is written by Verónique Van de Abeele.
'The fox who lost his memory' It is the work of Marín Baltscheit, and we find it in the Lóguez publishing house: the same old fox who transmits wisdom to the youngest is the one who forgets who he is. 'In the deepest lagoon' , tells a story in which Alexandra tries to remind her grandmother to show her photos and tell stories, Oscar Collazos has made possible the story published by Siruela.
And we get to 'Wrinkles' by Paco Roca (and published in Astiberri). After being admitted to a nursing home, Emilio must learn to live with his classmates. This book addresses sensitive issues, which present a fiction based on real life.
We have read two of these titles: 'My grandmother has Alzheimer', we found it very sweet and tender, and 'Wrinkles': it is a book for older children (I would say that from 10 years, although mine do not yet have that age), since the story is quite hard and hopeless.
I encourage you to take the opportunity to address this sensitive issue from home, so that children realize how important grandparents are, and also to understand that very different relationships can be established with the elderly, depending on the state of health.
Images | Newburyport Public Library, MMC, Lóguez, Siruela, Astiberri. Source | Espai Menut In Peques and More | The Christmas tree of memories: let's collaborate with Alzheimer's research, This was my grandfather, to explain death to children
