Module 2- Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs
Summary
The story is about a little boy going to visit his grandmother. His grandmother was taking care of her mother, the boy’s great grandmother. The grandmother was Nana downstairs because she worked mostly downstairs. The great grandmother was Nana upstairs because she stayed upstairs and didn't come downstairs. The story tells what the boy does with his great grandmother. Then Nana upstairs died and the little boy was very sad.
Reference of Book
dePaola, T. (1973) Nana upstairs & Nana downstairs. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Impressions
This is a fantastic generational story. This book introduces children to losing a loved one. It is done in a way that is very easy for children to understand. It is fine to be sad and memories are important. It made me think about my own grandparents and the thing we did every time we saw them. I think other children will make the same connection. This book was sad and happy when the boy lost both of his Nana's. The falling stars were kisses from Nana and reminded him of his Nana's. Even when the boy was an adult he remembered his Nana's.
Professional Reviews
This [Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs] is one of the best of the several stories for very young children that shows the love between a child and a grandparent, and pictures the child's adjustment to death. Like Lundgren's Matt's Grandfather, this stresses the affinity between the very young and the very old; unlike any of the other stories, it includes a great-grandmother as well as a grandmother. Small Tommy calls his ninety-four-year-old grandmother "Nana Upstairs" because she is bedridden; downstairs her daughter is busily keeping house, she's "Nana Downstairs." When great-grandmother dies, Tommy learns about death and, years later, he is better prepared when Nana Downstairs dies in her old age. The book gives a tender--but not overly sentimental--picture of the child's relationships with his grandmothers, the quiet tone given relief by touches of humor--as when Tommy sees his older grandmother tied into a chair to enjoy a rare time of being out of bed, and he wants to be tied in, too. "So every Sunday ... Nana Downstairs would come up the back stairway and tie Nana Upstairs and Tommy in their chairs, and then they would eat their candy and talk."
Review of Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. (2003). In S. Peacock (Ed.), Children's Literature Review (Vol. 81). Detroit: Gale. (Reprinted from Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 1973, October, 27[2], 24-25) Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com
PreS-Gr 2--Four-year-old Tommy calls his 94-year-old great-grandmother Nana Upstairs (because she's always upstairs in bed) and his grandmother, Nana Downstairs. On Sunday visits he especially likes having Nana Downstairs tie him and Nana Upstairs in their chairs so they won't fall out, listening to Nana Upstairs' tales about the "Little People," and watching Nana Downstairs comb out her own and Nana Upstairs' beautiful silver-white hair when they all got up from their naps. Then Nana Upstairs dies, and Tommy learns that she will never come back, except in his memory. Unfortunately, the rest of the book gets a little soupy, with falling stars representing kisses from heaven and both Nanas eventually becoming "Nana Upstairs," but none of this will offend. The charcoal drawings, filled with pink, rose and tan tints, depict a 1940-ish grandmotherly house and people; the print is large and clear on light beige paper; and each page in this easy-to-handle lap-book is appealingly framed. Children will want to hear [Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs] again and again, as they puzzle over what it means to be young and old and very old and, finally, to die.
Melina, S. (2003). Review of Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. In S. Peacock (Ed.), Children's
Literature Review (Vol. 81). Detroit: Gale. (Reprinted from School Library Journal, 1973, September, 20[1], 56) Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com
Library Uses
This book would be good to share with children that just lost a grandparent. Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs would be good for celebrating grand parents day. This book would be good to recommend to a child that has lost a grandparent.
SummaryThe story is about a little boy going to visit his grandmother. His grandmother was taking care of her mother, the boy’s great grandmother. The grandmother was Nana downstairs because she worked mostly downstairs. The great grandmother was Nana upstairs because she stayed upstairs and didn't come downstairs. The story tells what the boy does with his great grandmother. Then Nana upstairs died and the little boy was very sad.
Reference of Book
dePaola, T. (1973) Nana upstairs & Nana downstairs. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Impressions
This is a fantastic generational story. This book introduces children to losing a loved one. It is done in a way that is very easy for children to understand. It is fine to be sad and memories are important. It made me think about my own grandparents and the thing we did every time we saw them. I think other children will make the same connection. This book was sad and happy when the boy lost both of his Nana's. The falling stars were kisses from Nana and reminded him of his Nana's. Even when the boy was an adult he remembered his Nana's.
Professional Reviews
This [Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs] is one of the best of the several stories for very young children that shows the love between a child and a grandparent, and pictures the child's adjustment to death. Like Lundgren's Matt's Grandfather, this stresses the affinity between the very young and the very old; unlike any of the other stories, it includes a great-grandmother as well as a grandmother. Small Tommy calls his ninety-four-year-old grandmother "Nana Upstairs" because she is bedridden; downstairs her daughter is busily keeping house, she's "Nana Downstairs." When great-grandmother dies, Tommy learns about death and, years later, he is better prepared when Nana Downstairs dies in her old age. The book gives a tender--but not overly sentimental--picture of the child's relationships with his grandmothers, the quiet tone given relief by touches of humor--as when Tommy sees his older grandmother tied into a chair to enjoy a rare time of being out of bed, and he wants to be tied in, too. "So every Sunday ... Nana Downstairs would come up the back stairway and tie Nana Upstairs and Tommy in their chairs, and then they would eat their candy and talk."
Review of Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. (2003). In S. Peacock (Ed.), Children's Literature Review (Vol. 81). Detroit: Gale. (Reprinted from Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 1973, October, 27[2], 24-25) Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com
PreS-Gr 2--Four-year-old Tommy calls his 94-year-old great-grandmother Nana Upstairs (because she's always upstairs in bed) and his grandmother, Nana Downstairs. On Sunday visits he especially likes having Nana Downstairs tie him and Nana Upstairs in their chairs so they won't fall out, listening to Nana Upstairs' tales about the "Little People," and watching Nana Downstairs comb out her own and Nana Upstairs' beautiful silver-white hair when they all got up from their naps. Then Nana Upstairs dies, and Tommy learns that she will never come back, except in his memory. Unfortunately, the rest of the book gets a little soupy, with falling stars representing kisses from heaven and both Nanas eventually becoming "Nana Upstairs," but none of this will offend. The charcoal drawings, filled with pink, rose and tan tints, depict a 1940-ish grandmotherly house and people; the print is large and clear on light beige paper; and each page in this easy-to-handle lap-book is appealingly framed. Children will want to hear [Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs] again and again, as they puzzle over what it means to be young and old and very old and, finally, to die.
Melina, S. (2003). Review of Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. In S. Peacock (Ed.), Children's
Literature Review (Vol. 81). Detroit: Gale. (Reprinted from School Library Journal, 1973, September, 20[1], 56) Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com
Library Uses
This book would be good to share with children that just lost a grandparent. Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs would be good for celebrating grand parents day. This book would be good to recommend to a child that has lost a grandparent.
Review by
Booklist Review
Ages 3^-7.
Originally published in 1973, this autobiographical picture book was one
of the first to introduce very young children to the concept of death.
Given its graceful treatment of a difficult subject, it has been a
parental staple ever since, and a new generations of readers will be
glad to discover this timeless tale in a lovely new edition. In an
appended note, dePaola says he approached this project "as a completely
new book." Thus, the format is larger than formerly, the pictures have
been re-done in full color, and even the text has been slightly
modified, though the story remains the same: every Sunday four-year-old
Tommy's family goes to visit his grandparents. His grandmother is always
busy downstairs, but his great-grandmother is always to be found in bed
upstairs, because she is 94 years old. Tommy loves both of his nanas
and the time he spends with them. He is desolate when his upstairs nana
dies, but his mother comforts him by explaining that "she will come back
in your memory whenever you think about her." Although dePaola's book
is a nostalgic tribute to his own family, its theme--that not only
people but our love for them survives in our memories--is universally
true and important. --Michael Cart
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission. - See more at: http://www.buffalolib.org/vufind/Record/952555/Reviews#sthash.VQJaYN3x.dpuf
Review by
Booklist Review
Ages 3^-7.
Originally published in 1973, this autobiographical picture book was one
of the first to introduce very young children to the concept of death.
Given its graceful treatment of a difficult subject, it has been a
parental staple ever since, and a new generations of readers will be
glad to discover this timeless tale in a lovely new edition. In an
appended note, dePaola says he approached this project "as a completely
new book." Thus, the format is larger than formerly, the pictures have
been re-done in full color, and even the text has been slightly
modified, though the story remains the same: every Sunday four-year-old
Tommy's family goes to visit his grandparents. His grandmother is always
busy downstairs, but his great-grandmother is always to be found in bed
upstairs, because she is 94 years old. Tommy loves both of his nanas
and the time he spends with them. He is desolate when his upstairs nana
dies, but his mother comforts him by explaining that "she will come back
in your memory whenever you think about her." Although dePaola's book
is a nostalgic tribute to his own family, its theme--that not only
people but our love for them survives in our memories--is universally
true and important. --Michael Cart
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission. - See more at: http://www.buffalolib.org/vufind/Record/952555/Reviews#sthash.VQJaYN3x.dpuf
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