Now One Foot, Now the Other

Now One Foot, Now the Other
Tomie dePaola

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Author Study

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Now one Foot, Now the Other tells the story of Bobby and his grandfather, Bob, who are very close. The title refers to the words Bob uses when teaching Bobby how to walk. One of their favorite activities to do together is to build a tall tower with old blocks kept upstairs in the sewing room. As they built the tower, Bobby loved to hear the story of how his grandfather taught him how to walk. One day, Bobby comes home to find his grandfather isn't there. His parents tell him he has had a stroke and is in the hospital. Bobby was upset and depressed for months. Finally, Bob comes home from the hospital, but he is not the same grandfather Bobby remembers and he becomes scared of him. Eventually, Bobby becomes less frightened of Bob and begins to bring the blocks into the room and built the tower for Bob. Little by little, Bob begins to recover from the stroke, ultimately ending with Bobby teaching his grandfather how to walk saying, "OK Bob. Now one foot. Now the other foot."

I love this story. I think it dePaola does an exceptional job writing a sensitive story which provides an understanding portrayal of a common illness many grandparents experience, that proves difficult for children to comprehend. It is a heart-warming story of the power of love and encouragement. In an author's note, dePaola explains that this story was inspired from actual events in his childhood, providing an even greater truth and depth to his words.