The Heart Never Forgets

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.)