Blogger: Rachel Kent
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
My favorite children’s Christmas book is Jingle the Christmas Clown by Tomie dePaola. When I was about five years old, my grandmother gave me this book for Christmas. She had gone to a book signing with Tomie dePaola and had him autograph the story for me. She also trimmed an article out of her local paper about Tomie and the book signing and laminated it. The article is still in the book like a bookmark.
I believe this is the first autographed book I received, and it meant so much
to me that my grandma would go to the book signing and purchase a copy of this little book for me. It means so much more to me now! It was a perfect story choice because the book has lots of baby animals, and I was obsessed with animals when I was young. I still love Tomie dePaola’s illustrations! Even though the book is cute, it means so much to me because my grandmother gave it to me.
I’m tearing up as I write this because my grandma had a stroke three years ago and is in a nursing home. She can’t communicate with us much at all, and we have no idea how much she can understand when we talk with her. Christmas each year was one of the few times I got to see my grandparents when I was growing up, and I was sad not to see them more often. I’m looking forward to visiting her and my grandpa for Christmas this year as well! I know I’m lucky to still have them both.
Do you remember the first autographed book you received? Or a book that was a favorite because of who gave it to you?
What a special story. I’m sorry to hear about your grandma’s stroke. My dad had one when I was 14 and one thing I know is that most stroke victims are fully aware of what’s going on around them. She knows you all love her and that you’re there for her.
Just wanted to encourage you–stroke patients often understand more than we imagine. Your grandmother may deeply treasure your visits even if she can’t tell you so.
I don’t remember the first autographed book I ever received, but in October, we visited Pearl Harbor, and some of the survivors were there, signing calendars. That was amazing. No…THEY were amazing. Heroes! One spent that day carting off dead bodies.
Gerald Allen Wunsch signed a copy of “Curiosity” for my daughter, which was fun because he brought the wire fox terrier that inspired the book to the signing with him. Plus, it was awe-inspiring to realize that the Underground Railroad went practically right through where we were living in southern Indiana at the time. Leah was obsessed with the Underground Railroad at that age.
Blessings,
Voni
Rachel… I have long been enamored with history, but especially heroes. I find inspiration in reading about these people (both men and women) in pleasure reading, as well as the research I do for my novel-writing. So, I am also an avid book collector, and have spent many an hour prowling through stacks of used bookstores in search of obscure journals and autobiographies from the time periods I like to write about.
My first autographed book (and still the most prized treasure in my library) is a signed copy of the autobiography of Eddie Rickenbacker: famous WWI flying ace and WWII hero, that I stumbled across and only paid peanuts for. That signature is like a touchstone for my entire lifestyle and philosophy in so many ways. I still take it out now and again to — like the Irish pub that displays glasses used by the great people who drank there, “And if anyone doubts that story, here’s the very…” Well, my! Gives me a warm feeling, even now, just to remember it. I like to think signatures contain an essence of people’s spirits. Lovely subject!
I pray God will make this Christmas with your grandparents a special memory to warm your spirit the rest of your life.
Voni
You should take that book to show it or read it to your Grandma, Rachel! I imagine it would mean a lot to her to know how much you still treasure it.
My Great-Grandmother (I called her “Grandma-Great”) gave me a book of bible stories that I just adored. I still read it with my own kids. I can’t wait to see her in heaven to tell her how special that gift has been in my life.
I’d like to encourage you (as the others here have so far). My grandfather (one of the most special people in the world to me) had a series of strokes 7 years ago (almost to the day). He could definitely understand way more than he could communicate back. Often when too much was going on around him, he would tune some things out, but many of us do that, don’t we?
My grandfather was a farmer all of his life, and after his strokes, he couldn’t walk well, but he could still drive a tractor like there was nothing to it! It was second nature to him. Does your grandmother have something that she used to do regularly with ease? Perhaps that action might be repeated clearer than others. We continued to see improvement in his function and cognitive awareness for about three or four years after the strokes, then it remained stable. I know that regularly having physical, speech, and occupational therapy helped. I hope some of those services are available to your grandmother. My grandfather just passed away this summer, and he is greatly missed.
Thank you for sharing about your grandmother.
The people behind the books we receive often make those words so much more meaningful and beautiful, don’t they?
Rachel, that is such a touching story. I pray that you have a wonderful Christmas with your grandparents this year, and that the book your grandmother gave to you with such care will be a source of warmth and joy for many years to come.
I remember revering an illustrated book of bible stories that my grandmother gave to my sister and me when we were little. I didn’t understand the stories in any different light than I did other children’s books, but there was something about the rich illustrations, gold lettering, and the fact that it came from Nana that made it magical for me. She passed away when I was twelve and I inherited the family bible that belonged to her mother – King James Version with newspaper clippings enclosed and important family dates marked in the front. What a marvel for me to study these articles and wonder why they had been clipped by my great-grandmother, whom I never knew. In high school, my mom gave me my first NIV bible, and even though I wasn’t a believer at the time, I cherished that gift. Hmm. Looks a bit like the Word has been chasing me my whole life!!
What a wonderful story.
I wonder about my kids…if they’ll remember, years later, the GameBoys and robots that were played with and broken and cast aside.
One of my favorite books as a child was titled, A Gold Star for Eric. It was written by my cousin and was set in a fictional version of the neighboring small town my mother grew up in. It was when I discovered you could be an author as a career choice and the writing bug bit me.
I forgot to answer your question! My first autographed book was a copy of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small that my parents brought back from a trip to Great Britain. Love it!
Dear Rachel,
I agree with Karen above. “You should take that book to show it or read it to your Grandma, Rachel! I imagine it would mean a lot to her to know how much you still treasure it.”
How wonderful to have an opportunity to show this dear woman how much she still means to you. Grandparents often feel forgotten or irrelevant and the fact that you still treasure her gift after all these years will surely warm her heart whether she can demonstrate it to you or not.
As a “young” grandmother myself, I can only hope my grandchildren will still treasure me when I’m older. God bless you, Rachel.
I’m so sorry about your grandma. Your love for her shines through in this post. My grandma had a stroke a year and a half ago, and she recently moved to an assisted living facility where she seems very happy. I got to see her last month, and I’ll see her again over the holidays.
I’ve never read Tomie dePaloa’s Christmas book. I’m adding it to my library list! I adore kids’ books!