Review by Booklist Review
If a picture is worth a thousand words, an effective visual metaphor can reveal entire depths of story and emotion. Indeed, the most powerful expressions in Stuart's moving and melancholy tale are the magical conversions of feeling and narrative into pure image. The beloved grandfather whose mind has become detached from the present floats in a panel of pure white. His confused granddaughter finds a huge structure in the shape of her grandfather's head in the middle of the forest. Within this titular house, Cassi winds her way through the maze of his memories, seeking to repair a trauma that has trapped her grandfather for his entire life. The all-important visuals give solidity to the highly conceptual tale, as well as both lending the pace a quick, lively flow and yet, paradoxically, maintaining an almost contemplative tone. This book calls for a thoughtful reader ready to engage with its examination of how memory defines our relationship to the world and to ourselves. Those who come to it will find themselves embraced by humanity and connection.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Stuart's tender graphic novel debut presents a fanciful and uplifting take on memory loss. "Time is different for Grandpa than it is for us," Cassi's grandmother explains whenever Grandpa seemingly loses clarity. After Grandpa disappears into the woods, Cassi gives chase, soon finding a strange building shaped like a man's head. Inside the structure, she encounters a cavernous Escher-inspired hall filled with picture frames and gleans that this is where Grandpa's memories are stored. Upon entering one of the frames, her initial delight at meeting her grandfather as a young trumpet player is disrupted when the memory shatters into confetti. Discovering that she can interact with the recollection's happenings, she enters several more, determined to help preserve each scenario. Though her plans often fail, Grandpa reassures her: "They can't take away the stories we tell. Those we get to keep forever." Depictions of the house capitalize on disorienting architecture to emphasize the complex nature of memory. Sometimes-psychedelic renderings of everyday occurrences add a touch of absurd whimsy to a story that, while tinged with sadness, approaches dementia with curiosity and respect. Cassi and her grandparents have pale skin. Ages 8--12. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--Cassi is a young girl who loves her grandfather Charlie very much. She enjoys talking with and playing hide-and-seek with him. Sometimes, though, Grandpa forgets things, and when that happens, it can be scary for both of them. Stuart takes readers on a journey into Grandpa's memories along with Cassi, expounding why memories can be so difficult to traverse. This is an elegantly written and beautifully illustrated look into the early stages of dementia through the eyes of family. The characters are charming and easy to recognize, even when the story shifts to the past. Charlie's story, though not told chronologically, is thoughtfully tied together with images from his past. The artwork is a stunning watercolor display, showcasing all the emotion within the story. The memories are abstract at times, but easy to follow with Cassi as guide. The linework is both simple and complex, keeping readers in the point-of-view of a very young girl whose imagination is alive and thriving. As Cassi navigates through her grandfather's triumphs and losses, readers are treated to the spectrum of color and a wonderful play on shadow and light. Meanwhile, the dialogue is fun and fast-paced enough to maintain interest throughout. VERDICT An absolutely delightful and touching family story with wonderful art, and a must-have for all shelves.--Lauren Sullivan
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The twilight years of a life well lived inspire new appreciation in this visually and emotionally striking graphic novel. Red-haired, pigtailed Cassi shares everything with Grandpa Charlie, but sometimes his brain is a little foggy. He forgets details, fails to recognize his only grandchild, and wanders away without warning. Grandma explains his condition using an inventive metaphor of cascading dominoes. In his lucid moments, Grandpa shares his love of music, but one day, Cassi follows him through the trees in the backyard into a vast, surreal, mazelike building containing his memories. There she meets a young Charlie and discovers his rich musical history. Stuart portrays memories as an endless gallery of framed, hanging pictures; Cassi enters these portals into Grandpa's past. The spacious, labyrinthine chambers of the mind play visual second fiddle to vivid scenes of light-skinned, brown-haired Charlie's life among artists and performers. Cassi interacts with and affects each memory before it deteriorates, rewriting history or accepting an inevitable defeat. The brilliant, richly colored art and subtle complexities of how Cassi and readers come to know Grandpa elevate the story, such as when advice that an older Grandpa offers Cassi makes sense only when considered within the full context of his life and formative childhood experiences. The wondrous elements of fabulism and the affection between grandfather and granddaughter combine to form something greater than the sum of their parts. A dazzling, heartfelt journey through fading memories. (sketches and concept art, author's note)(Graphic fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
