Through+Grandpa's+Eyes

=Through Grandpa's Eyes= Written By: Patricia MacLachlan //By Rachel Marlak//

__ **Bibliographical Data ** __ **Grade Level:** 1 - 4 **Hardcover:** 40 Pages
 * Through Grandpa's Eyes **
 * Ages: **4  - 8 yrs.
 * Author: **Patricia MacLachlan
 *  Illustrator: **Deborah Ray
 * Publisher: **HarperCollins 1983
 * ISBN: **978-0064430418
 * Language: **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">English

John is a young boy who loves to visit his Nana and his Grandpa, who is blind. When he visits, he spends his days experiencing the world in the way that his Grandpa does: through his other four senses. In doing this, he tries to be like his Grandpa and experience the world around him in the way that his Grandpa does, learning how to listen, feel, and sense the world around him.
 * __Summary:__ **

This book is an amazing example of how children can be especially empathetic and understanding to people with physical disabilities, and is a heartwarming story of a loving relationship between a boy and his Grandfather. It also conveys a positive message to children about the lives of people with disabilities, in that they can lead a life that is just as productive and fulfilling as someone who is not disabled. The simple, elegant drawings are gentle and compliment the tone of the book, and the warm, muted colors coincide with the gentle nature of the story.
 * __Review:__ **

The most prevalent element present in the writing is the writing style. The author writes in a way that appeals to all the senses, which coincides with the theme of the story. Nearly all of the descriptions in the book are not only vivid in the visual aspect, but also as a whole, with strong details about smell, touch, and sound. For example, when John asks where Nana is and Grandpa tells him to close his eyes and "look through my eyes," John hears "the banging of pots and pans and the sound of water running that I didn't hear before." When John walks downstairs, he feels "the wooden banister on the stairway [that] has been worn smooth from Grandpa running his fingers up and down." Another example of this are John's descriptions of nature during the walk he takes with Grandpa. He describes smelling "the wet earth by the river", seeing "the gleam of the sun on the river, and "the feel of the meadow grasses." Throughout the story, the reader is drawn into the setting with the strong descriptions. This is an important aspect to consider in a children's book because it not only shows the readers how John relates to his grandfather, but also shows them how to use strong descriptive adjectives to convey more clear details throughout a story. Another element used in the book is the first person narration. Because the book is narrated by John, we as readers experience what he experiences from his innocent and more open point of view, and since he is a child, the experiences are new for us as well.
 * __Analysis of Literary Elements:__ **

Patricia MacLachlan was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1938 and is a graduate of the University of Connecticut. She has written many children’s picture books and novels for middle-grade readers, and her stories focus primarily on family. Her story, “Sarah, Plain and Tall” won her the Newbery Medal and the Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award. She currently lives in Williamsburg, Massachusetts with her husband John.
 * __Author Biography:__ **


 * __Related Links:__ **

[|Third Grade Lesson Activities Related to this Book]

[|Activities to Teach Tolerance and to Help Students Understand Blindness]