What's Happening To Grandpa?
By Maria Shriver
Illustrated by Sandra Speidel

    Maria Shriver tackles the problem of Alzheimer's disease and the associated dementia to explain what is happening to Kate's Grandpa. We first met Kate in What's Heaven, and then again in What's Wrong with Timmy. Kate has always loved to listen to her grandpa tell stories, but now he's repeating the same stories over and over again. Why does Grandpa do that? Doesn't he remember that he told Kate that story before? One day he even forgets Kate's name.

     Kate's mother patiently explains that Grandpa has Alzheimer's disease and it causes Grandpa to have trouble with his memory. She tells Kate just what that will mean to the people who love him.

    With special insight from her own father's struggle with Alzheimer's, Maria does an outstanding job of offering a touching and optimistic story that encourages awareness, acceptance, and dialogue among family and friends.

    Use this book to introduce one of the problems that families face when loved ones get older. Knowledge and information help families learn to cope with the difficult times in life. Read this book together and use it as a discussion starter.

      Speidel's delicate watercolors are just right to illustrate this inspiring story about loving our elderly family members.