Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs

Tommy enjoys his weekly Sunday visits with his grandmother and great-grandmother in this lovely, emotionally-resonant autobiographical picture book from author/illustrator Tomie dePaola. His grandmother (Nana Downstairs) was always cooking, while his great-grandmother (Nana Upstairs) was usually in bed, and ready to entertain him and give him a mint candy. Then one day Nana Upstairs passes away, and Tommy must contend with the first great loss of his young life...

Originally published in 1973, Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs is a true story from dePaola's own childhood, depicting his own great-grandmother and grandmother, with whom he was very close. It was originally illustrated in three colors, before being updated in 1998 in full show more color. It is this latter version that I read. It's a slice-of-life family story, simply but powerfully told, and had me tearing up at a number of points. Tommy's grief is sensitively captured, and the story age-appropriate, while the colorized artwork was charming, ably capturing the emotional register of each scene. Recommended to anyone seeking good picture books about the the loving bond between a child and an elderly relative, and the loss of that relative. show less

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola is about a boy who is close to his grandmother ("Nana downstairs") and his great-grandmother ("Nana upstairs").

Tommy likes to eat lunch with Nana upstairs and listen to her stories. She's very old and very frail and one day she dies. Tommy has to come to terms with losing Nana Upstairs and how his life will change now that there is just one Nana.

The book is a very gentle but matter of fact approach to the temporary nature of life and the ever changing aspects of families. The book ends with a brief glimpse at Tommy all grown up to see how he and his family has changed.

The book brought back memories of the routine my grandmother and I had when I was little. We would frequently go to show more Norwalk to visit my great grandmother who was too ill to live at home any more. We would visit her first and then go on the rounds to visit her friends. There was a lady who would always save her banana for me and another one who made dogs out yarn tied to frames made from bent coat hangers.

And then when I was about seven we stopped going because my great grandmother had died. Now I'm grown up, have my children and my grandmother has passed away too. show less

Ok. I actually started to cry at the end of this book. And I'm a 30 year old guy. Pretty good book about dealing with death and it's inevibility. Little Tommy visits Nana upstairs and Nana downstairs and loves his time with them. But one day Nana Upstairs dies. And her room is empty when Tommy runs up to visit. It's a tearjerker if you've ever lost someone. It's even sadder now that I know Tomie de Paola wrote it based on personal experience...

A modern classic for introducing the idea of, or dealing with, the passage of time and the loss that is a natural part of living.

If there was a story on the list that hits me dead centre of my heart, it’s this one. My son had such a special relationship with my grandmother, so seeing little Tommy fastened in his chair alongside Nana upstairs made me melt.

This heartfelt tale is a tear-jerker, so be prepared before you brandish it at bedtime to an unsuspecting little one. It’s never easy to talk to a child about death, but a simple, beautifully illustrated book like this can be just the thing to assist a child’s understanding of something that we as adults struggle to comprehend. I feel similarly about I’ll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

If there was a story on the list that hits me dead centre of my heart, it’s this one. My son had such a special show more relationship with my grandmother, so seeing little Tommy fastened in his chair alongside Nana upstairs made me melt.

This heartfelt tale is a tear-jerker, so be prepared before you brandish it at bedtime to an unsuspecting little one. It’s never easy to talk to a child about death, but a simple, beautifully illustrated book like this can be just the thing to assist a child’s understanding of something that we as adults struggle to comprehend. I feel similarly about I’ll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

To see the rest of the books on the Top 5 Picture Books about Grandmas, please visit my blog post at Peachy Books here: https://peachybooks.ca/2021/07/09/friday-favourites-top-5-grandma-books-for-kids... show less

This sweet story is a glimpse into the life of its author, Tomie de Paola. Its prose is simple but eloquent. The book touches the reader's heartstrings and makes one lovingly remember their own grandparents. Children will enjoy it, and the teacher/librarian will have wonderful opportunities to introduce new vocabulary. The book would also be an appropriate segue into the lifecycle of humans.

This book is a story of a young boy who has a grandmother who is bed-ridden and stays upstairs, and another grandmother who lives with her. He calls them Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. The boy loses Nana Upstairs at a young age and has to deal with that. When Nana Downstairs passes away, he makes a comment the they are both, "Nana Upstairs".

I loved this book as a child and still love it today. It is a great book to teach children about dealing with death and that death is part of life. It is a good book to present to a child that has lost someone.

When I read this to children, I will have them first tell me about someone they have lost in their life. When the book is over, I will speculate with them what the boy meant when he said show more they were "both Nana Upstairs". show less