A heartfelt story of love that helps explain Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Within Weeds in Nana’s Garden, a young girl and her Nana hold a special bond that blooms in the surroundings of Nana’s magical garden. Then one day, the girl finds many weeds in the garden. The girl soon discovers that her beloved Nana has Alzheimer’s Disease; an illness that affects an adult brain with tangles that get in the way of thoughts, kind of like how weeds get in the way of flowers. As time passes, the weeds grow thicker and her Nana declines, but the girl accepts the difficult changes with love and takes over as the magical garden’s caregiver.

Colourful painted scenes create the world of Nana’s Garden. Each illustration is developed through layers of conté, acrylic paint, paper and digital collage. Changes from the disease are evident in the illustrations as you turn each page. You see less colour, less paint, more conté and more tangled lines.

This book helps families when a loved one has dementia, like Alzheimer’s. It is a journey that will cultivate understanding and touch your heart. A portion of all proceeds from the book’s sales go to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada. Weeds in Nana’s Garden is available in English, French, German, Portuguese and Danish.