Grandpa used to speak many different languages. Now, he sometimes forgets what he had for breakfast. But whenever I take him for a walk, something remarkable happens—the words come back, one language at a time. Arabic, Italian, Spanish, English, and perhaps even a brand-new one. We dance flamenco, eat ice cream, and search for memories among street signs and posters.
Then, suddenly, Grandpa is gone. Has he wandered off? Or does he know exactly where he’s going?
A warm and poetic picture book about language, memory, and the love between a child and a grandfather who forgets—but never stops surprising.
Musa M. Isse is a children’s author, translator, and reading promotion advocate based in Stockholm. He writes picture books that reflect multicultural experiences, including Ardo and Mire Celebrate Eid and Swim with Me. He has translated beloved Swedish children’s classics into Somali and was awarded the Klas de Vylder Scholarship in 2024.
Ane Gustavsson is an illustrator whose poetic visual style has accompanied the work of renowned authors such as Lennart Hellsing and Åsa Mendel-Hartvig. She lives by Lake Racken in Värmland, Sweden.
