Singing with Momma Lou

A Family Copes with Alzheimer's Disease

To call Singing with Momma Lou solely a children's book about Alzheimer's Disease is to focus too narrowly. Yes, this children's picture book tells the story of nine year old Tamika and her grandmother, Momma Lou, who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, and the author does an excellent job of it. However, the emphasis is broader and includes family love and respect, family memories, and the importance of preserving and handing down family history from one generation to another.

A Grandparent with Alzheimer's Disease

Every week, Tamika and her parents visit her grandmother in a nursing home. Each time, Tamika has to reintroduce herself. Frustrated and withdrawn on these visits, Tamika has lost sight of all of the wonderful times she and her grandmother shared and the love and kindness her grandmother always showered on her.

Tamika's father gently reminds her of this by showing her Momma Lou's scrapbooks and talking about the photographs and other items in them. Tamika learns about Momma Lou's wedding, her singing with bands, and her work in the civil rights movement. There is even a newspaper clipping of Momma Lou in jail, singing "We Shall Overcome" with a group of protestors. Tamika especially enjoys all of the photos that show her and Momma Lou. They help her to realize the importance of returning the love her grandmother has shown her by visiting with her in the nursing home.

Tamika resolves to "give Momma Lou back her memories. Not all of them maybe, but some." She sets about doing this by sharing old songs and items from Momma Lou's scrapbook with her grandmother. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. As time passes, Momma Lou gets worse and finally even stops singing. Although her parents are discouraged, Tamika won't give up.

Tamika and Momma Lou Share Love and Memories

Tamika decides that being in jail for a civil rights protest would have been a momentous occasion in her grandmother's life. She brings in the newspaper clipping, and Momma Lou, for the last time, comes alive with memories and laughter, even leading her family, as well as some of the staff and residents, in singing "We Shall Overcome." When Momma Lou, with tears in her eyes, leans over and whispers to Tamika, "Don't let this get lost, honey," Tamika understands the importance of keeping her grandmother's story alive and promises, "I'll keep it safe." Although Momma Lou dies shortly thereafter, Tamika keeps her promise.

More About the Author, the Illustrator and Alzheimer's Disease

Singing with Momma Lou was written by Linda Jacobs Altman and illustrated in acrylics by Larry Johnson. Altman has firsthand experience with the effects of Alzheimer's because her mother suffered from it. According to Altman's publisher, "While this was a tragic experience, she learned from her mother the power of the human spirit." At the end of the book, there is a page of information on Alzheimer's disease, including the names, addresses, and Web sites of three related organizations.

What I Particularly Liked About Singing With Momma Lou

What I particularly like about Singing with Momma Lou is -

• its accuracy in depicting Alzheimer's Disease, particularly the uneven progress of the disease and the value of music, photos, and memorabilia as memory prompts,
• its focus on family bonds,
• its emphasis on the importance of continuing to love and care for family members even when they are too ill to reciprocate, and
• its depiction of the bond between grandmother and grandchild.

I also think that hearing or reading the story may pique children's interest in their own grandparent's lives and memories. While disease and death may be sad, this book is not sad because of its emphasis on enduring memories and family love. While the story is about a particular African American family and their memories, experiences, and love for one another, the theme is a universal one. The book is intended for 4-8 year olds, but it would also be valuable for older children coping with a family member's Alzheimer's disease.(Lee & Low Books Inc., 2002. ISBN: 9781584300403)