If My Moon Was Your Sun

Written by Andreas Steinhöfel, Georges Bizet and Sergei Prokofiev

Narrated by Brett A. Barry

With its loving portrayal of aging, caring for the elderly, and the keen nature of kids’ sensibilities, this is a must-purchase for all libraries serving children. --School Library Journal, Starred Review

A quiet story and pleasant music combine for a calming, peaceful, and even uplifting performance. --Kirkus Reviews

Did you hear the story about Max, the boy who kidnapped his grandfather from a nursing home? You didn’t see it on the news? Well, let me tell you about it.

Max lives in a small town, much smaller than yours. His grandpa is losing his memory, but still remembers quite a bit. You can imagine how they hurried, Max and his grandpa, followed by old Miss Schneider, who insisted on coming along. Why were they in a hurry? Because everyone was after them. Max had skipped school to rescue his grandpa, and they were just starting out on what promised to be one of the best days of their entire lives.

A touching story about dementia and the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, with full-color illustrations and a read-along CD audiobook featuring twelve classical pieces for children by Georges Bizet and Sergei Prokofiev.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Plough Publishing House
• Release date: Nov 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781636080239

Reviews for If My Moon Was Your Sun

[bah195 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dementia is a hard subject to explain to a child. Andreas Steinhofel's new book If My Moon Was Your Sun is a good first step. It's a heart warming story about a boy who kidnaps his grandfather's from his nursing home and takes him on a trip to a meadow that holds special memories. At the end of the day the boy, Max, admits that he's afraid that someday his grandfather will forget how much he loves Max.The illustrations complement the story very well.

[loafhunter13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A moving book starting a boy named Max. Max is exceptionally close to his grandfather and their relationship forms the foundation of Max's childhood. His grandfather has begun to suffer from dementia and is currently living in a nursing home. Max comes up with a way to give back some of the love he has received from his grandfather in a way that touches both of them.The story is moving and the character depth in such a short book is remarkable. It is a scenario that many readers can to relate to on at least one level so emotional connection is quite strong. The art, particularly in connection with the musical CD attached, is powerful and creates a complete sensory experience. This is a strong work with real-world ties and a well-thought out multimedia experience.That being said, it would be nice to be able to read the book with the musical pieces but without the text narration. It is a minor point but for those that enjoy reading aloud, it does make a difference. Also the speed of the story and the abstract nature of some of the plot/character moments might make it difficult for younger readers/listeners to grasp. On the flip side, this would encourage conversation on the topic which is a plus but it can create a barrier between work and audience.

[sandsing7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the idea of this book - a young boy wanting to save his grandfather from the impending symptoms of Alzheimer's and return to an easier time. The illustrations are beautifully simple and bright, and really enhanced the story. While I appreciated the story and the pictures, I didn't feel connected to the story at all. It all seemed kind of distant to me. In addition, the typesetting was strangely formatted on each page which got in the way of the overall effect.

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

*I received an eARC copy through NetGalley for review. This review is my honest opinion*

I have mixed feeling about this book. I wanted to like it, but there seemed to be a lot of adult influances, such as jokes about kissing, and old people being 'kooky' and a mention that "butterflies teetered drunkenly", I wouldn't recommend using drunkenly in a children's book. I also don't like the thought that if this happened in real life, it could turn out really bad! (Yes I know it's not supposed to be taken seriously, but making the cops come find you is not my idea of funny.)

But then again, it was a fun story, and the art work, both brilliantly colorful, and slightly exaggerated, fit perfectly with the tone of this story. I liked the characters, and at the story tries to gently teach children about what happens when people get older, and their minds no longer work right all the time.

So overall I liked the writing and characters, but some of the humor and describing words could have been better handled.

[atdcross · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A cute, inspiring, bittersweet story of a boy who wants to spend a day with his grandfather who has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home. So he sneaks out of his house and goes to his grandfather's nursing home not too far away. Then, he sneaks in and, again, sneaks his grandfather out of the nursing him... with another Alzheimer's patient tagging behind them!The book comes with a CD to play for your child to hear the story.

[avonslp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An emotionally charged book; one that not only causes a reaction in children, but adults as well. Who hasn't been touched by Alzheimer's? No one that I know of! Explaining it to a child is a difficult process and this book does a good job in discussing the topic without causing fear or an unsettled feeling in children. I admire the writer in his attempt to tackle something so important that is a big part of so many people's lives. The illustrations are gentle and kind and capture my attention. The CD is an excellent addition to the book. It makes me remember the "books on tape" that I used to read to my children when they were young.

[katrinasakimoto · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very sweet and touching depiction of the little boy, Max. It was so cute to see how much Max loved his grandfather, and how their relationship has evolved now that his grandfather is living in a nursing home with Alzheimer's. Overall a great children's book with captivating illustrations and a good life lesson.

[lilyroseshadowlyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My grandmother's mental decline began when I was in my early teens and my brother wasn't even in school yet. It started with little things and quickly progressed over the next few years from early stages to full-blown Alzheimer's. It was painful and difficult to understand. I was watching the woman I'd grown up with slipping away. I wish we'd had this book. It would've helped my brother and I (and possibly even my mom) cope with my grandmother's mental decline. A brilliant reminder that even when the mind is gone, the person you love is always there, even if you can't always see it.

[lynette.williams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I was young, my grandfather lived in my family's home until his passing from Alzheimer's disease. Thus I found this book difficult to handle and absolutely beautiful. I read it without the audio the first time. On that first experience, I relished the wordcraft and beautiful illustrations. I remembered moments with my grandfather--his giant stride, his mischievous eye twinkle, his hand in mine. And I cried.I found myself putting off listening to the cd for a few days, thinking of it but finding a reason to save it. I shared the listening with my children, ages 7 & 9. I found the audio added another layer of beauty and a sort of undergirding of peace. It was a joyful experience. And I cried.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful story. Max and his grandfather have a very special relationship, but his grandfather is in a nursing home and has the "Great Forgetting". Max does not want him to live so far away, he thinks he will never see him, so one day he skips school and heads to the Nursing Home. He is going to kidnap his grandfather and take him to his "Happy Place". The big problem is that another resident sneaks out with them. They head off to the meadow where Grandfather and Max lie looking at the sun and Mrs. Schneider dances.

This book evokes such extreme emotions. I smiled during the dancing bits and almost cried during the spots where grandfather does The Great Forgetting. There is a point in the book where Max mentions a fear he has and it caused me to feel overwhelmingly emotional. His grandfather's explanations is wonderful and easy for children to understand. I did not receive the audio CD with this book from Netgalley, but went out to youtube and found the musical accompaniment. Amazing match to the story. This could be a silent movie using the wonderful illustrations and the music.

This story could be read and enjoyed by anyone from about age 6 and up. The family bond and love, understanding dimentia or alzheimers, fear of losing a loved one and understanding of seniors are all dealt with in a compassionate, emotional way. I will need to purchase the book with the CD for my library at home. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[mypennameonly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a hard-cover ARC copy of this book, along with its accompanying cd consisting of the book’s text with its incidental music between chapters, from the publisher; and the following is my honest opinion, which I’ve broken down into several segments.This is the first book I’ve read which has been translated from its original German text. The reason I’m mentioning this is that German had been my secondary major to my primary one of Sociology. Given the intended age group for this book of 8 – 12, I figured the original German should be easy enough for me to translate, which is what I did. When I listened to the audio for the text for the book’s first paragraph, I found much to my delight that the translator, Matthew O. Anderson, didn’t merely translate the book into English, he endeavored to capture the nuances of language which the author wanted to communicate to his readers.I know I could have easily read this book, however I wanted to experience the impact having the book read to me for a change would feel like. Needless to say, I found the experience to be quite satisfying, especially when you include the carefully selected classical music segments heard between each segment [chapter] which added a delightful embellishment to the entire reading experience. Ms. Palmtag, the book’s illustrator, has done a marvelous in pairing her illustrations to the words of the book which further heighten the story itself.As for the storyline itself, you’ve got the love the coupling of the innocence along with the love for his grandfather Max exhibited when he decided to kidnap him out of the nursing home so he could keep his grandfather close and not lose him. Not knowing anything about dementia Max thought he’s doing something good, but when he saw people from the home and his mother chasing everyone; including Ms. Schneider, another resident of the nursing home who came along for the ride, Max knew he had to stop and give up.If you’ve got any doubt that this endeavor had to be a labor of love for the author, instead of being just another children’s book, read the interview with the author and illustrator at the end of the book. Considering all this, you can see why I’ve given this book the 5 STARS it so richly deserves.

[veragodley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found the concept of a listen-along-CD and a lovely book for ages 8 to 12 quite appealing. The listen-along and book combo is usually reserved for the younger child. To further enhance the intriguing concept for ages 8 to 12 they have added interludes of classical music that punctuates the "chapters." This is a superb opportunity to allow the introduction of classical music into the story time for this age.The music is beautiful and it connsists of the work of composers Sergi Prokofiev and Georges Bizet. The story is beautifully read and is a translation from the German of a beautiful story. Descriptive phrases and lyric style are well done. A pleasure to listen to it being read or to read oneself.Grandfather has dementia and is in a home with locked doors and Max wants a day out with his grandfather. So an escape from the confines of the nursing home is executed seamlessly by Max and Grandfather with an older lady slipping out with them. And so they go on their adventure with fun, laughs, and love. As day closes and the moon comes out Max and Grandfather are talking about the moon and the sun and how they revolve. Then Grandfather says, "Who are you?"Max knows his Grandfather has times of not remembering which is the reason he lives in the "home." Though sadded about his Grandfather's condition, Max wants to help his Grandfather.The story is beautiful showing the love between a grandson and his grandfather. It is beautifully written in flowing style and with grace and sensitivity. The story can be used to help children understand dementia and how it devastates. Often young children see the effects of dementia on someone they love and don't understand it. This lovely story could help.On a negative note, while I completely understand this is fiction, it does raise issues. First, a nine-year-old child shouldn't go wandering off across town on his or her own without an adult even having knowledge of his excursion. Secondly, the locks on nursing homes are there for the safety of the residents; and for the dementia resident to leave without a responsible adult is simply asking for trouble and most likely unlawful. Of course, when reading stories like Red Riding Hood we have a little girl traipsing through the deep dark forest unaccompanied, so unattended children on excursions are not new to the literature world. Neither is stretching the law a bit. I did want to point out my concerns about the story while extolling its gentle beauty and wonderful presentation with book and audio.DISCLOSURE: I received a copy through the Librarything.com Early Reviewers program. Opinions are my own and freely given.

[bkfaerie_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've had relatives with dementia. They managed to live at home with aid but I can understand why it's best to have them in a home that knows how to deal with that issue. That's what spoke to me about this book and I loved it!Plough Publishing sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It has been published and you can buy a copy now.Max dearly loves his grandfather and cherishes all the times they've spent together. Now that he's in a home, it's not the same. But he wants to give his grandfather another good memory before his mind is all gone. He plans it all out and even manages to pull it off.He sneaks out of the facility with his grandfather right behind him. There's lady teacher following along, too. He takes them by bus to a meadow that lovely green grass, birds and animals, and was private. They shared a picnic lunch, had some juice and enjoyed the freedom. Once his grandfather got a bit confused but Max got him back on track.When the police and his mother show up he knows their trip is over but he doesn't regret it. I hope his mother learns from this example and takes her father on a few daytrips while he still can.There is an CD audiobook with music included so after you've read the book, you can listen to the words and hear the musical choices.This is a lovely book combination and it covers a difficult subject. Maybe no one in your family will be afflicted with it but letting young ones know what is and how they act will probably help them through life.After I was done reading it, all I wanted to do was hug Max.