LEWIS AND LOU
by Julia Vasileva,
Clavis, 2025 (Dutch edition)
June 2026 (English)
Clavis, 2025 (Dutch edition)
June 2026 (English)
Lewis, or Big Lou, finds himself adrift more and more, as dementia makes it harder for him to remember his days spent as a sailor in his youth, and who his own family is in the present. His granddaughter, Little Lou, builds a picture lighthouse in their living room to help him find his way in this storm, and – sometimes – it works. Other times, the waves pulling at Lewis are too deep. Still – she is his Little Lou, and like an anchor in the storm, she's not going anywhere. In this realistic and personal portrayal of a grandchild navigating their grandparent's dementia, LEWIS AND LOU shows us that sometimes the most important thing is to just be there – even if a loved one can't be present in return.
▪️SCBWI Don Freeman Grant winner
▪️Key Colors competition finalist
▪️Key Colors competition finalist
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Free resources for educators, families and mental health practitioners:
Classroom-ready lesson plans (for grades 1-2 & grades 3 and up) connecting the book to health and wellness/SEL and language arts curricula, activity print-outs.
Discussion questions based on the book, intergenerational activities, printable letter-writing template
Themes the book can address, potential session applications, activity print-out
Behind the scenes:
This story is deeply personal to me. I cared for my grandfather through his Alzheimer's, and I later worked as a companion to an elderly woman living with dementia. One showed me what it feels like to live this from inside a family, the other – what it means to support it from outside.
