Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs (Picture Puffin Books)

I first purchased this book many years ago when my daughters (now 31 and 28) were aged 5 and 8. My now 31-year-old is about to be a mum; this was one of the books she added to her registry. To this day, my girls still talk about how beautiful and sad this book was. Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs" is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. This touching and heartwarming book is primarily about the bond between generations and the concept of life and death, aimed at young readers. The story revolves around the author's childhood memories of his two beloved grandparents: his grandmother (referred to as "Nana Upstairs") and his great-grandmother (referred to as "Nana Downstairs"). The book portrays the special relationship the young boy shares with both of his elderly relatives. "Nana Upstairs" lives upstairs in the same house and is his grandmother. The boy visits her often. However, as time passes, “Nana Upstairs” becomes frail and eventually dies. This introduces the young boy to death and the idea that people he loves may not always be with him. "Nana Downstairs" is his great-grandmother who lives on the house’s first floor. The boy continues to visit her after "Nana Upstairs" has passed away. Through these visits, he learns about the circle of life as he sees that while one person may leave, another generation is still there to share their love and stories. The book gently and sensitively addresses the topic of death in a way that is understandable and comforting for young children. It emphasizes the importance of treasuring the moments spent with loved ones and the memories that endure even after they are gone. Overall, "Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs" is a poignant story that helps children understand aging, loss, and the enduring love between generations. It's a beautifully written and illustrated book that can provide comfort and understanding for children facing the loss of a grandparent for the first time.

A Nana book . nice for older children's that can understand it better

This book teaches the young and old alike about ageing, compassion, and sharing time with family. In this touching ture story dePAOLA tells of losing a great grandmother. At the age of four he shows compassion and love for a disabled grandmother, sharing special time tied into their chairs sucking on peppermints, talking, and playing games every Sunday afternoon. The illustrations tenderly show his surprise at finding her room empty and his moment sitting by himself on the floor hugging his knees, crying softly. In our family four grand children under the age of nine (three under the age of six) lost their grandfather. Our family used this story to talk about the empty space left, that it is okay to feel sad (a sadness we all felt), and to remember good times we had spent together. 4 months later we still talk about our feelings through references to different illustrations in the book. Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs

This classic story is a must have. The author is top notch. It's a perfect way to explore the grandparent relationship & even deals with the topics of loss in a compassionate way kids can understand.

I read this to my daughter’s third grade classroom. It was well received. It got the students talking about their own experiences with losing a grandparent. One little girl said “ It was sweet, but sad.”. They asked me to read it again. The author is wonderful! Years ago I read it to my own children when their great grandmother passed away.

Wonderful book for any age. I read it to my 25 year old son and his girlfriend and they had tears. I am a social worker with hospice and this is a wonderful addition to my lending library.

Bought after a family death to help a 4 year old with the concept of the finality of death. Very sensitively written and beautiful story.

This is a really good book. Its not super entertaining though, but the topic is a difficult one, so that is expected. I'd like to read this more now and then or if the issue of dying or death, especially of a family member, comes up with the daughter. She's now 4 so its not something we talk about a lot.