The Heart Never Forgets

by Ana Ot (Author) Hayden Goodman (Illustrator)

The Heart Never Forgets
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
A young girl pays tribute to the memory of her grandfather during a West African masquerade festival in this moving, lushly illustrated picture book.

DUM! DUM! DUM! DUM!
The talking drums thump a sweet beat…
The masquerade has begun.


As villagers gather to hear masked musicians beating drums, savor fried plantains, and watch the joyful dancers, a young girl joins the celebration with her family. But this year, everything feels different; it’s the first masquerade without Grandpa.

Each member of the family carries something that honors Grandpa—his clanking beads, soft velvet hat, and carved walking stick. But the young girl doesn’t have any of Grandpa’s items. Instead, she brings with her a special memory shared only between the two of them. Will she be able to share it with the world?
Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

The air is rich with the smell of spicy stew and fried yams, and the sound of thumping drums, as brown-skinned community members gather to celebrate--it is the day of the masquerade, the annual festival for honoring ancestors. For one child and their family, this is "our first masquerade without Grandpa." Each family member carries something of Grandpa's--his bracelet of cherry-red wooden beads sits on Mama's wrist, his green velvet hat perches on Papa's head, and his walking stick is carried by the narrator's brother Noyi--as they all share Grandpa's favorite food and their favorite memories. When the masquerade begins, the narrator notices that one performer "walks with the grace of a gazelle... just like Grandpa" and when dancers arrive, the child joins them in tribute to him. Via painterly illustrations of dancers in traditional West African outfits and masquerade performers in patterned costumes, Goodman (The Green Piano) expresses liveliness and warmth, carrying the day--and story--forward to a profound and poetic conclusion. In this tenderly written debut, Ot deftly conveys that love is at the core of the grieving process, and that memories and celebration of loved ones keep them near when they have gone: "The heart never forgets what the eyes have seen." An end note discusses West African masquerades. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Kirkus

A stirring reminder of loss that balances joy with sadness.

Review quotes

*"Via painterly illustrations of dancers in traditional West African outfits and masquerade performers in patterned costumes, Goodman expresses liveliness and warmth, carrying the day—and story—forward to a profound and poetic conclusion. In this tenderly written debut, Ot deftly conveys that love is at the core of the grieving process, and that memories and celebration of loved ones keep them near when they have gone."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "2/5/2024"
Ana Ot
Ana Ot grew up reading, which led to her love for writing. When she's not doing either, she's dreaming up new stories filled with heart and whimsy. Ana enjoys traveling and discovering special books in quirky bookstores. The Heart Never Forgets is her first picture book.

Hayden Goodman is an African American painter, illustrator, and character artist born and raised in western Massachusetts. Now based in Connecticut, she works primarily in gouache to paint witches, fairies, goblins, and other mysterious creatures from mythology and folklore. Visit her at HaydenGoodman.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781665913058
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date
April 16, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV030010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Africa
JUV017090 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Other, Religious
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Grandfathers
Africa, West
Rites and ceremonies
Masquerades

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