Holding on

A Filipina child visits Lola, their grandmother, seasonally in the Philippines, where summers "are filled with so much music. Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in the morning. Ella Fitzgerald and Dean Martin in the afternoon. And in the evening, all the Tagalog love songs I can think of." In the winters when they are apart, the child narrator considers how Lola "holds on" to memories tied to beloved objects ("the old pictures I drew") and rituals (cooking "rice with adobo and mashing bananas to make each bite just a little bit sweeter"). And when they're together, "I listen to her stories and remember with her." When Lola's memory begins to fade, the narrator, too, clings to memory by singing the songs Lola passed on: "I'll hold on to all that she has taught me, and carry it with me in my heart," writes Lee (Soaring Saturdays) in gentle prose. Mixed-media illustrations by Roxas (Squid Happens), awash in saturated greens and blues with bright orange and yellow splashes, incorporate a motif of musical notes into images of familial intimacy across time, reinforcing the message of embracing unwavering love through music and memory. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Wendi Gu, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. Illustrator's agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Aug.)

As a grandmother slowly loses her memory, her grandchild learns to connect through song. The narrator loves spending summers at Lola's house. The sounds of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Filipino singers Nora Aunor and Basil Valdez fill the house while Lola and the child dance and sing together. "If you want to hold on, you gotta sing your songs," Lola always says as she embraces the narrator. "Holding on" means remembering--Lola holds on to the child's long-outgrown items, like a baby bottle or pajamas, and makes something beautiful out of them. Lola also shares her stories of how she met Lolo and how they danced at their wedding. But sometimes, Lola forgets and becomes silent, so her grandchild fills the silence with singing. Gathering friends and family to sing is her grandchild's way to show that it's OK, because the child will always be there to help her remember. This is a moving story of the bond between a grandmother and a grandchild--a bond that won't fade even as the grandmother's memory does. The illustrations are bright and colorful, with multiple layers and textures. Roxas deftly depicts emotions and movement, adding life and feeling to the heartwarming text. Characters are cued as Filipino, and the text and images celebrate Filipino culture and food. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A touching story of how we can hold on to our memories and loved ones. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.