Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs

Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs
Tomie dePaola

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Author Study

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Drawing upon his own childhood experiences, Tomie dePaola tells the story of his grandmother and great grandmother whom he visited every Sunday afternoon. Nana Upstairs is his 94-year-old great grandmother who stays in bed upstairs, and Nana Downstairs is his grandmother who takes care of Nana Upstairs. Sunday afternoons are always the same for Tommy; running into the house saying hi to Nana Downstairs and then right up the back stairs to Nana Upstairs's room. The loving relationship between Tommy and his grandmother unfolds throughout the story, until its poignant turning point when Tommy has to deal with the death of Nana Upstairs. The book ends with Tommy as a grown up, and Nana Downstairs has died as well. Tommy is seen gazing out of the window into the night sky and thinks to himself, Now you are both Nana Upstairs.

This book is perhaps one of the most memorable of my childhood. I believe this is because it was one of the first books I had ever read that talked about death, and the first time I really realized that people in my life were going to die just like people in Tommy's did. This was an impactful experience for me, and what I remember most about it was that I didn't feel scared or upset - it was just a realization. I believe that dePaola's calm and quiet approach to the topic helped me to understand the concept of death as something natural. I think that is the beauty of this book - to be able to approach the topic of death and still be able to come away from the story with a feeling of peace and comfort.