How to Make a Memory

by Elaine Vickers, Ana Aranda (Illustrator)

Overview

The Wonderful Things You Will Be meets The Remember Balloons in this lyrical and gentle picture book about the joy and importance of making memories and cherishing life’s most special moments.

To remember means to keep something in your mind.
To hold it safe in your memory, like a small, smooth egg in your hand.
How do you make a memory? And how do you remember?

This poignant story takes readers through the bittersweet celebration of the last day of school, the pause before blowing out birthday candles, the magical closeness of gathering around a campfire: those tiny moments that enrich life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534494411
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	684,870
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Elaine Vickers is the author of the middle grade novels Like Magic and Paper Chains, which have received starred reviews, Whitney Award nominations, Mighty Girl’s Book of the Year picks, PJ Library licenses, and sold translations in four languages. She is also the author of YA novel Fadeaway and picture books Thankful, How to Make a Memory, and Heartfelt. In her non-writing life, Elaine teaches college chemistry. She lives with her family in Utah.

Ana Aranda is a children’s book creator, illustrator, muralist, and art instructor. Her work has been featured in galleries and museums in the United States, France, Mexico, Italy, Norway, and Japan. In San Francisco, she has painted murals in the Mission District, for the Consulate General of Mexico, and for the prestigious de Young Museum. Her illustrations can be found in The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra and Moth & Butterfly: Ta Da!, and How to Make a Memory. Ana Aranda was born and raised in Mexico City, where she studied design. Her biggest inspirations are her childhood memories, the vibrant colors of Mexico, and music.

Editorial Reviews

2023-03-14
Saying goodbye isn’t easy.

Life is always moving along, and that “means that someday / something you love will come to an end / and it will be time to say goodbye.” Acknowledging that transitions can be sad (one spread shows a child grieving a dog and later bidding farewell to the pet during a beach ceremony), Vickers uses easily recognizable events and activities to craft a child-centered message: Readers can make memories of happy moments to look back on later. They can take photos, draw pictures, write stories, or even use their mind’s eye to commit events to memory; for this last one, the accompanying illustration shows scenes from a fabulous birthday party worth remembering. Children also learn that sometimes memories have a way of emerging on their own, summoned by a familiar song or scent. And sometimes they return when a child is sitting quietly on their own. Readers are asked, when they are ready, to imagine all their memories and recognize how they define them and give them strength for the future. Finally, they are reminded that even though something they love has come to an end, their story and their memories continue. Aranda’s vibrant spreads, suffused with rich hues that convey characters’ various emotions, depict racially diverse and generally joyful children and adults. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Multisensory suggestions to help children transform difficult moments into something positive. (Picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews