Weeds in Nana's Garden: A heartfelt story of love that helps explain Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias.

by Kathryn Harrison, Kathryn Harrison (Illustrator)

Overview

A young girl and her Nana hold a special bond that blooms in the surroundings of Nana's magical garden.

Then one day, the girl finds many weeds in the garden. She soon discovers that her beloved Nana has Alzheimer's Disease; an illness that affects an adult brain with tangles that get in the way of thoughts, kind of like how weeds get in the way of flowers. As time passes, the weeds grow thicker and her Nana declines, but the girl accepts the difficult changes with love, and learns to take-over as the magical garden's caregiver.

Extending from the experience of caring for her mother, artist Kathryn Harrison has created this poignant story with rich illustrations to candidly explore dementia diseases, while demonstrating the power of love. It is a journey that will cultivate understanding and touch your heart.

After the story, a Question and Answer section about Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia is included.

$1 from the purchase of this book will be donated to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. The Alzheimer Society is Canada's leading health charity for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Thank-you for making a difference!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780994946706
Publisher:	Flipturn Publishing
Publication date:	02/26/2016
Pages:	34
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.09(d)
Age Range:	3 - 9 Years

About the Author

Kathryn Harrison holds an eclectic blend of science, marketing and art skills. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/ Psychology from Queen's University, an MBA in Marketing from McMaster University, worked for over a decade as a Communications professional and then went on to earn a Fine Art Diploma from the Toronto School of Art.

Stirred by her personal experience with her mother's dementia, Kathryn wrote and illustrated this, her first picture book, "Weeds in Nana's Garden". It is designed to support families and spread awareness of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia, in honor of her mom, Bonnie Harrison.

In creating this book, Kathryn has been able to layer all her different abilities together. Her understanding of brain disease stems from her education in science. Real world experience in marketing and advertising has helped her to be a compelling storyteller. And, finally her art training is apparent in her rich, mixed media illustrations that take in the reader and hold them.

Kathryn creates from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, a small town just outside of Toronto, where she is continuously inspired by her kids, her cats and her colorful natural surroundings.

Kathryn Harrison holds an eclectic blend of science, marketing and art skills. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/ Psychology from Queen's University, an MBA in Marketing from McMaster University, worked for over a decade as a Communications professional and then went on to earn a Fine Art Diploma from the Toronto School of Art.

Stirred by her personal experience with her mother's dementia, Kathryn wrote and illustrated this, her first picture book, "Weeds in Nana's Garden". It is designed to support families and spread awareness of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia, in honor of her mom, Bonnie Harrison.

In creating this book, Kathryn has been able to layer all her different abilities together. Her understanding of brain disease stems from her education in science. Real world experience in marketing and advertising has helped her to be a compelling storyteller. And, finally her art training is apparent in her rich, mixed media illustrations that take in the reader and hold them.

Kathryn creates from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, a small town just outside of Toronto, where she is continuously inspired by her kids, her cats and her colorful natural surroundings.

Editorial Reviews

"This story is very simple and sweet; it teaches children about dementia while also teaching them to help people. The illustrations within the story were beautiful, and bursting with color. It gave an actual feeling of being in a garden. It also gives very good detail on the progress of the garden, along with the increased need to assist Nana. At the end of the story, there were questions and answers to further educate the young reader about dementia and how it affects people differently. Great job by the author of this children's book; it was simple and easy to understand! I loved this story." ~ 5 Stars, Tiffany Davis, Readers' Favorite ~

"Using the garden metaphor as a tool to illustrate the progression of dementia, this picturebook explains Alzheimer's disease to children in clear and sensitive terms. The book's young narrator asks questions of her mom that echo real-world concerns that many children have about a family member with dementia, guiding young readers through the delicate process of understanding brain disease. To further support families, the book also includes a helpful Q&A section that answers questions like: "Who gets dementia?" and "Is there any medicine to help?" Weeds in Nana's Garden is an excellent resource to rely upon when discussing dementia with children, and it is a welcome addition to any library or classroom collection." ~ Highly Recommended, Chloe Humphreys, CM: Canadian Review of Materials.~

"Dementia is a growing issue for families, young and old. It is often difficult for parents to talk about the disease with young children, yet Kathryn has managed to do so in an insightful and thoughtful way. I have worked in the dementia field for close to 20 years and think this book is a great tool to begin the conversation and increase children's knowledge of how to cope with the disease." ~ Highly Recommended, Marija Padjen, B.S.W., M.S.W., Recognized expert in dementia programming.~

From the Publisher