Grandfather's Story Cloth by Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford, illustrated by Stuart Loughridge, is reviewed in the September 2008 issue of
Booklist!
"Chersheng, a third-grader, observes his grandfather's growing
confusion as his memory loss becomes more profound. Grandfather
gathers sticks for a cooking fire, though Mother cooks on a gas stove.
More disturbing, he calls Chersheng "Fong," the name of his younger
brother who died when their family fled from soldiers in Laos. Looking
at a traditional Hmong story cloth that he made years before,
Grandfather relates his family's history to Chersheng, who makes a
collage showing his grandfather's life in America. Written in a
straightforward manner, the text smoothly weaves Grandfather's history
into the contemporary tale, which shows how Alzheimer's disease
affects the whole family. Watercolor paintings sensitively depict this
intergenerational story. The dual-language text appears side by side,
English on a white background and Hmong on light blue, green, or tan.
Reminiscent of Hmong geometric needlework, patterned squares decorate
the end panels of this well-designed book. Notes on Alzheimer's
disease and on the Hmong and their story cloths are appended."
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