Product Description

This poignant tale tells of a woman residing in a nursing home who seems to live more in a world of memories than here in the present.
Although Miss Olivia is unable to respond and doesn't always seem to notice her family, daughter Angel and great-grandson Troy know better. Anything from a beautiful sunset to the mention of her porch swing-Troy's favorite place-can take her back into her past, from when she was just a little girl out on the farm with her papa or back to a recent birthday shared with her daughter. She can no longer do the things she used to do, but she's still their Momma Olivia.
Laminack treats a difficult topic with great care, giving voice to the seldom discussed tragedy of watching a loved one slip out of the present and into the past in terms children can understand. Bergum's delicate watercolors also give soft expression to the continuity of generations and the love that holds a family together during times of hardship. The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins was the result of a very special collaboration between author and illustrator.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #625345 in Books
• Published on: 1998-03-31
• Released on: 2003-11-03
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .37" h x 8.92" w x 10.93" l, .87 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3AWhen her daughter and great-grandson visit Miss Olivia Wiggins in a nursing home, their words and actions cause the woman to remember significant moments in her life. A repeated phrase, "She didn't move, she didn't even blink, but slowly, quietly she began to think..." signals the change from the present to the past. These remembrances, which occur on every other page, are printed in italics. Through this story, readers will be reassured that older people can have a full inner life and will understand the importance of visiting them. With the growing number of elderly requiring full-time care, this book could fulfill a need. However, its appeal to youngsters is doubtful. Unlike Mem Fox's Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (Kane/Miller, 1985), which addresses a similar subject, the story here is told from an adult perspective. The sun-dappled watercolor illustrations work with the text to present a sanitized, loving tribute to one woman's life. They do try to create a child-oriented connection between the past and the present by including a toy horse in many of the scenes and yet it's not enough. The overall focus of this title remains on the adult with little to engage youngsters.AMartha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 5^-9. When her daughter, Angel, and her great-grandson Troy come to visit her in a nursing home, Miss Olivia Wiggins doesn't appear to notice their presence: "She just [sits] there, staring straight ahead, at nothing and at everything." But small things they say and do bring back memories for her. As Troy hums a little tune by her chair, she remembers holding her babies and singing to them, and the smell of the lilacs he has brought her reminds her of a special, long-ago spring day with the man she would marry. Although Troy finds it somewhat puzzling that his great-grandmother doesn't seem the same, he can tell that his visits bring her joy. Realistic watercolors flow gently between present and past in this tender depiction of a life well lived, which speaks to the value of maintaining loving relationships, even when they are altered by Alzheimer's disease. Susan Dove Lempke

Review

"Through this story readers will be reassured that older people can have a full inner life and will understand the importance of visiting them." --School Library Journal
"Moments of real eloquence.... The book provides an unusually empathic look at the reality of aging.... Children perplexed or upset by their own visits to deteriorating elders may find this book helpful and even consoling." --Publishers Weekly
"Realistic watercolors flow gently between present and past in this tender depiction of a life well lived, which speaks to the value of maintaining loving relationships, even when they are altered by Alzheimer's disease." --Booklist
"The story will strike a chord with young children who may, for the first time, realize their grandparents and great-grandparents were once children like themselves.... The gentle watercolor, illustrations of Miss Wiggins' life-past and present-help bring the story to life for readers of all ages." --Boston Herald