Holding On

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

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Description

A young girl in the Philippines uses music to connect with her grandmother as her memory fades in this warm and moving picture book perfect for fans of Pixars Coco.

There is always singing in Lolas house. Sammy Davis Jr. in the morning, Dean Martin in the afternoon, and all throughout the evening, old Tagalog love songs from Nora Aunor, Basil Valdez, and more. Lola always says: If you want to hold on, you gotta sing your songs.

Her granddaughter tucks these sounds and Lolas wisdom deep within her heart. And when Lola starts slipping into silence and stillness, she helps Lola hold on, piece by piece, with the joy and music that Lola taught her.

Reviews

"The gentle text will tug at heartstrings and resonate with children who are experiencing similar situations...Bittersweet and joyous, this picture book is a positive treatment of a grandparent living with Alzheimers or dementia. An excellent choice for libraries." -- School Library Journal * 12/23/2022 *
"Illustrations by Roxas awash in saturated greens and blues with bright orange and yellow splashes, incorporate a motif of musical notes into images of familial intimacy across time, reinforcing the message of embracing unwavering love through music and memory." -- Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Sophia N. Leegrew up in the Philippines. She wanted to be many things growing up: doctor, teacher, ballerina, ninja, crime-fighting international spy, wizard, time traveler, journalist, and lawyer. She likes to think she can be all these things and more through writing. She is the author ofSoaring Saturdays;What Things Mean, which won a Scholastic Asian Book Awards grand prize;Holding On; andLolos Sari-sari Store. Learn more about her at SophiaLeeWrites.com.

Isabel Roxasis the author-illustrator ofThe Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens. She was born in the Philippines and raised on luscious mangoes, old wives tales, and monsoon moons. She learned so much from her lolas Fe and Venancia: how to shine the floor with a coconut, navigate a palengke (wet market), and make a scrumptious bowl of ginataan. Learn more about Isabel online at StudioRoxas.com or on Instagram @StudioRoxas.