Such a special story that showcases the beauty of relationships between the old and the young. Wilfrid is a child that lives next door to an old people’s home and has a genuine interest in the residents and values their passions in life. Above all is his bond with Nancy, which flourishes so affectionately, untouched by her illness. What is so beautiful about this story is that, upon discovering her memory loss, Wilfrid becomes the key to Nancy’s rediscovery. In giving small tokens of himself, he helps her regain aspects of her past, all of which were believed to be lost.
The idea of a generational divide was a profound message for me, highlighting the ease to which adults turn their back on the elderly, despite there being so much more to give. Wilfrid’s parents both pity Nancy for her dementia, with a resounding sense that there is little to be done. It is the young in this story, Wilfrid, who refuse to give up hope and resign her as ‘lost’. Some might point to the parents reflecting the realities of life and there being a childhood innocence here, but for me Wilfrid provides an insight that back needn’t be turned.
I really loved the concept of memory in this story, resembling something different to each of the characters and being a poignant symbol for perceptions on life and experiences. Definitely a story that digs a bit deeper than the average, making the reader more conscious of the power held by human thought.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a young boy who lives near a nursing home. He spent time with several of the old people, however he was closest with Ms. Nancy because she also had 4 names. His parents share with him that she "lost her memory". Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge visits all of the old people to ask them what a memory is. He then collects items to represent all of the ways a memory was described. He gives Ms. Nancy the "memories" and sure enough they sparked some of her old memories! Such a cute story about a boy who is trying to help his friend and make her happy. I utilized this book to talk about symbolism with my 5th grade students. They chose items that symbolize different memories from their own lives.

A lovely book for children exploring what memories are. Beautifully illustrated.

The idea for the book might be good for a kid that has a grandparent or someone else that is losing their memories. But otherwise I don't think it works. My 6 year old was left kind of confused about what was going on in the story.

Genre: Children's Picture Book - Fiction
Ages: K-3rd

This is a very touching book and is a great illustration of compassion. I think it might resonate a little more with adults but it is a story for all ages. Children love stories about helpful children who save the day. The premise of this book, that a young, innocent child, finds his old friend's memory for her, is lovely. If only life really worked that way. It made me feel wistful and hopeful.

Mem Fox’s Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge uses first-rate dialogue to express ideas of friendship, caring, curiosity, and remembrance. Fox also makes splendid use of figurative language by comparing memory throughout the book to a number of different things. She describes memory as something “warm,” something “from long ago,” something “that makes you cry,” something “that makes you laugh,” and something “as precious as gold.” This picture book allows young readers to engage in a rich and rewarding story. The illustrations and colors are tempered and bring great sensitivity to the story.

A small boy lives next door to an old folks home and learns about memories while in the process of trying to help an elderly woman remember some of hers. A very cute book that has over exaggerated illustrations. I think the story has some good lessons about helping out and caring for others.

Cute story about a boy who helps find his friend's memory. Great if you are talking about Alzheimer's with kids and helping them understand this disease.

Mem Fox is not on the official list of Australia’s National Living Treasures. That is plain wrong. It’s even more wrong given that Clive Palmer is on the list. Clive is large and full of money, but that’s the only way he could be considered a treasure. If we define the word as something precious and cherished, Mem Fox fits the bill. Possum Magic is the definitive Australian picture-story book, and probably only Graeme Base can rival her popularity over more than 30 years. Today we look at another Mem Fox classic: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.

Wilfrid was published in 1984, the year after Possum Magic. They are the first two books Mem Fox had published, and they were both illustrated by Julie Vivas, whose style is unique and instantly recognisable – she too is an icon of Australian children’s literature. If Possum Magic was their blockbuster, Wilfrid was their sleeper hit. That’s because where Possum Magic is a fun, whimsical fantasy, Wilfrid is poignant and truly resonates.

On its surface, it’s about a young boy who lives next door to a nursing home and befriends the residents. Deeper down, it’s about the fundamental truth that people are the same whether they’re 6 or 96. And usually, sadly, it’s only the six-year-olds and 96-year-olds who seem to understand that. The rest of us are stuck in the middle, too old to be innocent, too young to be wise, and too caught up in our day-to-day lives to give it much thought anyway.

Wilfrid’s favourite friend at the nursing home is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper, because she has four names just like him. One day, his parents call her a “poor old thing” because she’s lost her memory. Wilfrid wants to help her find it. He starts by asking the other residents at the home what a memory is. Old Mrs Jordan says it’s “something warm”. Mr Hosking says it’s “something from long ago”. Mr Tippett says it’s “something that makes you cry”. And so on.

Taking this literally, as small children do, Wilfrid goes home to find some “memories” for Miss Nancy that fit the descriptions. And his little collection sparks her memory. The warm egg he brings reminds her of being a little girl and finding speckled blue eggs in a bird’s nest in her aunt’s garden. His grandfather’s medal reminds her of the brother she loved who went to the war and never returned. She marvels at how such a young boy could have brought these memories back.

Heidi and Fletcher are fortunate that all four of their grandparents are still alive, and luckier still that they have two living great-grandmothers. One, who we call Grandma Millie, is 94, and just like Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper, lives in a nursing home. When we visit, it makes Grandma Millie’s day to see the kids. More than that, it brightens the day of every other resident who sees them. At a nursing home, little children are like a drug – the residents can’t get enough of them.

Besides Grandma Millie, there’s old Jeannie from Northern Ireland, who was a high-school teacher and Skypes with her family back in the old country. She loves to say hello to the kids. There’s Alwyn, who always takes a grandfatherly interest. And Joyce, who likes to keep an eye out for Heidi too. And of course there are those who one day just weren’t there anymore. What must life be like in a nursing home? You have lived a long, eventful life, but you know this is the last stop.

I remember, when I was five or six, my older sister Lindy would visit an elderly lady at Sunnyside House, the local nursing home. I would sometimes tag along, and without realising it at the time, I helped cheer them up in the same way. I remember one old man giving me a present of a big, men’s sized hankie, and a packet of Steam Rollers that fair dinkum knocked my socks off. I had a concept that these people were old, but it was still abstract. As far as I was concerned, everyone who wasn’t in school was old.

And that’s the thing about Heidi, or Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. They treat the elderly like they would treat anyone. They treat them like people, like equals. Not feeling sorry for them, not wondering if this is the last time you’ll see them. The rest of us are coloured by what we think we know. “Poor old thing”, we think, and we act accordingly. Any visitors at a nursing home are welcome, but I wonder if kids are especially loved because they are so unaffected.

A word here about Julie Vivas. Her style is so distinctive and her characters so expressive that they sometimes border on caricature, but in children’s books that can sometimes be a good thing. In Wilfrid it has the effect of bringing these old people to life, giving the sense of youth that is such an important message of the book. Yes, they are hunched over and frail, but they also have a recognisable spark. They are individuals, each with a story. And that’s the truth of a nursing home.

I’ve been told countless times that you never feel any different as you age – not deep down inside. It should be obvious that Grandma Millie at 94 is the same person she was at 74, or 34, or 14. But too often we fail to think that way. We mentally group all old people together in one category. They’re not like us. We’ll never be like that. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge helps to remind us that we’re all the same. Old people have been young like us and we – hopefully – will grow old like them.

If you have kids, and you have an elderly relative, it’s impossible to read this book and not feel inspired to pop around for a visit. So just do it. I guarantee you’ll make their day – and probably your own as well.

http://dadreads.blogspot.com.au/2018/...

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas is a very cute children’s book. It is about a young boy who wants to help an old woman get her memory back. The little boy, however, does not know what a memory is. So, he goes around and asks what a memory is. He is given very vague answers, so he tries his best. He brings the woman a basket of a bunch of random things, and it works! The objects remind her of many things that happened in her childhood. This book shows how small children really do want to, and are capable of helping out others. It also shows that sometimes, all a person needs is a good friend in order to feel okay again. The simplest task can have such a big impact on someone's life. I can myself using this book in my future classroom with students aged anywhere from kindergarten to third grade. The illustrations are magnificent, and they reinforce the story well.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a heartwarming exploration of the meaning of memory.
I also really liked the relationships between the little boy and his elderly friends: once again, heartwarming :)

Interestingly, the adults in the illustrations are all legs and bellies (and tiny heads, haha). It's such a smart way to represent a small child's point of view!

I think that this book is not what you expect it to be when you read the title. I think I was expecting a VERY different story. But I was really surprised hearing this story. It was sweet and touching. Seeing this little boy who didn't know what it meant for one to lose their memory, and having such an honest earnest desire to help her get her memories back pulled at the heartstrings. This book teaches children about memory loss, something that they will most likely experience with a loved one in their own life, and the sweet memory of her remembering some memories that were linked to the items he brought her is really endearing. This story is good for silent reading or a read-aloud.