04 Feb Review: Other Words for Nonno
Other Words for Nonno
by Dave Cameron; illustrated by Yong Ling Kang
Kids Can Press
ISBN: 9781525305757 (hardcover)
$23.99 CAD (hardcover)
32 pages
Ages: 4 to 7 years old
Review by Elisabeth de Grandpré
Other words for Nonno is a picture book about the bond between a granddaughter and her grandfather, Nonno. Even though they use different words to describe things, they communicate with each other: Nonno calls the bank the counting house. They bond with each other over a weekly walk through the woods to the lake. While it’s a great story about intergenerational bonds, this book becomes more serious and issue-driven when Nonno has dementia. Despite the weighty subject, author Dave Cameron ends the book on a hopeful note. When Nonno is having trouble finding his words, his granddaughter draws him a map of their walk using his words. This book would be great for a home library or classroom when discussing this hard topic. Yong Ling Kang’s beautiful watercolour illustrations add a softness that helps this sad story about ageing go down easier. This book resonated with me long after reading.