Celia and Nonna

Written by Victoria Lane and illustrated by Kayleen West

Celia and Nonna looks at ageing and adjustment through a child’s eyes. Celia loves staying at her grandmother’s house, which is filled with special things just for her. Nonna calls Celia an angel and reads her up to nine books at bed time. However, Nonna is beginning to find it difficult to live by herself and has to move to a new home, where people can help out when she forgets things.

The pictures are lovely and homey, and the book has an excellent way of gently explaining the more difficult aspects of getting old to children.

As the book is child focused, it centres more on Celia’s feelings of loss and her efforts to deal with the changes, rather than how her grandmother is coping. Nonna seems to have accepted her new situation very well, but perhaps she adjusted well because of Celia’s help and eventual acceptance.

Celia and Nonna is suitable for children aged four and over, and the text is in OpenDyslexic Font to make it easier for children with dyslexia to read it. Colour backgrounds will also help these children to see the print more clearly, as well as parents with tired eyes.

Katy Gerner