Helpful Score: 1
PreSchool-Grade 3 Martha's grandfather is celebrating his 89th birthday, and she has crafted a card with the words ``Happy Birthday, Grampie. I Love You'' on it. The words are textured so that he can feel them with his fingers, as he is blind. Martha is worried all the way to the nursing home because her grandfather has been speaking only in his native Swedish lately, and she doesn't know if he will be able to understand the card. Soft transparent realistic watercolors match the story's gentle mood, which is reminiscent of the author's Karin's Christmas Walk (Dial, 1980) in reaffirming the bonds of family love. Although similar to Patricia MacLachlan's Through Grandpa's Eyes (Harper, 1980) in its sensitive treatment of the theme of the blindness of a grandfather, this is also a satisfying and rewarding portrayal of a family's treasured moments.
