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Book Review: The Remember Balloons

Helping kids understand Alzheimer or dementia

By Kayla Rochelle April 5, 2021

Recommended for ages 5-9 years


Alzheimer’s is hard. Dementia is hard. Any disease that affects a person's ability to remember is hard. Just as hard is trying to explain these diseases to a small child, who barely understands their own brain's inner workings. ‘The Remember Balloons’ by Jessie Oliveros is the story of a young boy who is so confused why all of his Grandfather’s memories, in the form of balloons, are floating away. Together his parents sit him down to explain where the balloons are going and what his job is as a family member to help his Grandfather. This story moved me to tears. Seeing the tangible images of memories floating away felt all too real. Even as a grown adult, with a complete understanding of how the brain and its diseases can affect memories it was an explanation I even needed to hear. 



Kayla is a wife, mother and beach-loving book reader. She's a family photographer over at Kayla Rochelle Photography, and organizer of the Facebook group, Little One’s Literary Review. Her love of good books started as a child and only grew with the birth of her own daughters. Kayla's got an undying love of children's books with gorgeous illustrations and moral lessons. 


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