Now One Foot, Now the Other

by Tomie dePaola

This touching story about a young boy coping with his grandfather's disabilityhas long been one of Tomie dePaola's most popular picture books. Now, for the first time, it is available in a larger format, full-color edition—perfect for family sharing. Readers of all ages will love to watch Grandpa Bob teach Bobby to walk, and how Bobby returns the favor when Bob has a stroke, all in beautifully rich full color.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Friendship

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 6, 1981

About the author

Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.

He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most emotionally profound picture books I have encountered, setting a powerful scene in a way I'd never seen from Tomie dePaola.

Now One Foot, Now the Other is as simple as its title, yet never falters in the strength of its emotional bond with the reader. It's the story of a young boy named Bobby, named after his Grandpa Bob. The two of them share a close relational connection that goes beyond just sharing a first name, and the first part of the book lovingly shows all of the simple activities that they enjoy doing together, and how these everyday things serve to make them so close. To Bobby, his grandfather is not "Grandpa" but "Bob", a unique nuance to their relationship that emphasizes their same name and makes their link together even more special.

Everything changes one day when Bob suffers a severe stroke. Now, he can no longer walk or talk, the very basic tasks that he had taken such pride in helping Bobby to learn. He can't even eat on his own anymore, or really move at all. The doctors say that Bob doesn't even know who Bobby is anymore.

Bob has to spend months in the hospital, and five-year-old Bobby sits up at night, for the first time scared of the future. Even when Bob eventually comes home, Bobby still is scared: Bob is nothing like he used to be. He lies in bed most of the day, or just sits in a chair when Bobby's father walks him to the living room.

A profound connection like the one that Bobby shares with Bob just can't be silent forever, though. Through one seemingly inconsequential action on Bob's part Bobby becomes convinced that Bob recognizes him as his grandson, even though his mother tells him it can't be true. He determines not to be scared of his grandpa, and to help lead him back to be the Bob that he once was. Hope dawns golden bright as we realize that Bobby is right; Bob does recognize him. Bobby finds himself helping his grandpa to relearn the same life tasks that Bob had taught him: how to walk, and talk, and eat. The road is long but Bobby never succumbs to discouragement, and gradually we see a heartening improvement in Bob.

Whether or not Bob is ever restored to all that he had been before the stroke, this book casts out a powerful lifeline to anyone who has ever been in a situation like this, or who has ever found themselves losing hope over anything in their lives at all. Now One Foot, Now the Other is a quiet story with superb, very profound emotional resonance. A deep sense of love surrounds everything about the story, and it is this love that will so deeply affect the reader. It is one of the best picture books I have ever read.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobby is named after his grandfather Bob. "Bob" is baby Bobby's first word, his first friend, the person who teaches him to walk and stack blocks. But after Bob has a stroke he can't walk or talk and doesn't even seem to remember Bobby.

This is a really touching little book. I would recommend it as an alternative to people who find Love You Forever creepy and ill-done but want something in that general vein, or more specifically for children who are close to a grandparent or other older person with serious health problems.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, this book. I've read a few dozen of Tomie's work now and this has to be one of my favourites. Originally published in 1981, the story explores the intergenerational relationship between a young boy and his grandfather. We watch as the grandfather teaches his grandson to walk and play. Then, a several years later, the grandfather has a stroke. Rather than wallow in self-pity or despair, the young boy decides that it is now his turn to teach his grandfather to walk. This shows the incredible determination and sense of optimism that is so prevalent in the young and something that we need to consider holding on to as we grow older.

Emotional, sensitive, wise, deeply powerful which handling the theme gently, Now One Foot, Now the Other is a bloomin' wonder.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet story! A little boy and his grandfather are very close. When his grandfather has a stroke, the little boy learns how to still share meaningful moments together with him. Warning: it's a tearjerker!

Ages: 4 - 9

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[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bobby has grown into mastery of basic motor skills under the loving supervision of his grandfather, affectionately named Bob. But one day he is terrified when Bob suffers a stroke and is fully paralyzed. Everyone thinks Bob is unable to understand what is happening around him, but Bobby insists that his grandfather is responding to him. Slowly and persistently, he helps Bob regain motor control, leading him through all the same exercises that Bob used to help him gain coordination as a young child until he is able to communicate and get around under his own power.

The story is simply, carefully told so that young children can understand it, but all readers will grasp the profound implications of Bob's disability. Bobby (who is not a perfect child) models what it means to take care of others -- even those who may have always taken the helping role toward him. While sometimes frightening, the story's drama may help young children come to terms with the limitations of people in their lives and teaches them that they can have an important helping role. In the midst of fear and weakness, this picture of tender intergenerational love is very beautiful.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh now that one just made me cry - recommended by a former colleague who knows exactly how far my dad has come in the years since his stroke, and how much his relationship with my little boy means to them both. Sigh. I'll have to order myself a copy of that very soon.

[Mackenzie]

Now One Foot, Now the Other, story and pictures by Tomie dePola

This is a precious book about a grandfather having great influence on his grandson, teaching him to walk and even talk. Along the way, the grandfather has a stoke, and his disability affected his memory and walking. The little boy ends up teaching his grandfather how to talk and walk.

The story problem in the book is when the little boy finds out his grandfather had a stroke and doesn't remember him. The little boy doesn't give up, and diligently teaches his grandfather the basic things that his grandfather taught him when he was younger. I think this is age appropriate for all grade levels, but I do think the upper grades will get a better grasp of the grandfathers disability and how the little boy returned the favor and taught his grandfather how to walk and talk. It's very easy to understand, the language is great, and the pictures go right along with the content.

There is no cultural diversity in this book, the characters in this story are all white. However, the book is dedicated to a guy named Bob, and the character within the story was named Bob, so there is some correlation there.

[Laura Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is good to use to help children to understand what has happened to relatives, and what it means to have a stroke. This book can help to discuss how when we age it can be cyclical; needing the same support we needed when we were very young.

[Mandi Simmons]

About a young boy coping with his grandfather's disability has long been one of Tomie dePaola's most popular picture books.

[Laureano Lafaurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy triste pero muy bonito

[Delia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a touching and emotional story. This story can be relatable for a child whose grandparent went through or is going through something related to their health in turn affects the child's relationship with their grandparent. This story could help the child understand that their grandparents did not choose illness to affect their relationship on purpose and that they need the love of their grandchildren in order to help their grandparents feel better. This would be a good read for a child who is 4 years old and up.

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sweet and touching story about the relationship between a boy and his grandpa. With such specific details and the incredible relationship shown in the story, I thought it must be at least somewhat autobiographical. I checked on Tomie dePaola's website where he says, "NOW ONE FOOT, NOW THE OTHER is very loosely based on childhood experiences." It definitely feels very real. The illustrations are slightly different than your typical dePaola book, but I still really like them. They fit the mood and tone of the story. This is a nice one that all Tomie dePaola fans should definitely read.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a worse tear-jerker than a sentimental country song. A well-told story about a grandfather who teaches his grandson to walk, only to have the tables reversed when he has a stroke and enters second childhood. This, like Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs, is a great book to read a child with aging grandparents.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. I just kept thinking about how I would have loved to read a book like this when I was a child when a grandparent of mine was sick and how I would have felt relating to it. A very sweet story and sends a really loving message about people helping people.
highly suggest!

[Reader Gal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to the Goodwill yesterday with my mom and saw this story’s cover and it immediately caught my eye. The grandpa and the grandson on the cover made me think of my grandpa. In a few days it will be a year since he passed. I am so glad I got this and after reading it just now I know this story will mean so much to me forever.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

February is Italy month at the public library. I learned that Tomie dePaola is Italian/Irish, so I am reading his children's books. :)

A grandfather and his grandson have a relationship that is endearing.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book chokes me up just thinking about it. I absolutely love it.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this one! Makes me cry every time!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to read this after Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs - just as emotional but no one dies in the end.

[Erin Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet children's book about the special relationship between a child and their loving grandpa. (And for the record, my first word was "Bob," as well.)

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A child helps his beloved grandfather, who has had a stroke, in this sweet and affecting story.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very realistic story of the love between a little boy and his grandfather and how their roles reverse after the grandpa has a stroke and is incapacitated.

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very tender book about a boy's relationship with his grandfather. I dare you not to cry!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me cry every time.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobby must contend with some unwelcome changes when Bob, his beloved grandfather, has a stroke. Used to doing everything with Bob, Bobby finds it distressing when the stroke takes him away, and then returns him a different man. Some things haven't changed however, and the most important of those is the love between grandson and grandfather, and soon Bobby is helping to teach Bob all the things—like speaking and walking—that his elder once taught him...

Originally published in 1981, Now One Foot, Now the Other is another one of those poignant and ultimately heartwarming family stories from author/illustrator Tomie dePaola, billed as a companion to his 1973 Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs . Like that earlier picture book, it features the loving bond between a young child and his grandparents, and the grief and confusion when illness (or death, in the earlier book) causes a separation. The story here had me tearing up a little bit, given the role reversal between Bob and Bobby, something that I think I found particularly moving owing to the fact that I am currently the caregiver for my elderly mother, who has dementia. I certainly found something I could relate to here, and I suspect many young children with elderly relatives might as well. The accompanying illustrations are trademark dePaola—I'd recognize them anywhere—and have a certain vintage appeal. Recommended to anyone seeking picture books about children and their grandparents, and stories about strokes and other illnesses in our elderly loved ones.

[Erin]

This is a great story of love between a young boy and his grandfather who he called Bob. Bob teaches him to walk and says “now one foot, now the other.” Then they would take the wooden blocks from the shelf and they would build a tower together. This was great fun for both of them, building and watching them fall down. His grandfather told him stories and then walked with him, “now 1 foot, now the other.” When he was five he went to the amusement park, ate ice cream and at night watched fireworks. Their evenings always ended with Bobby asking him how to how he taught him to walk. That was his favorite and most intimate moment.

One day Bobby learns his grandpa had a stroke and will be in the hospital for a very long time. He also learns he may not know him and will never be the same. You can feel his broken heart and see his loneliness. One day his grandpa comes home and is in bed. Bobby is afraid, but his father took grandpa from bed to a chair. Bobby talks to him and detects a tear in his eye that spoke of recognition. Bobby called his mother to tell him grandpa knows who he is. He builds blocks and very slowly grandpa responds and improves. The love they share ultimately is the medicine and healing force.

By his six birthday he asked grandpa to tell him how he taught him to walk but now it is Bobby who is helping his grandpa as he says “now 1 foot now the other.” Tommy DiPaolo can evoke emotions so deeply you know he must somehow have experienced the subject in some degree. A fantastic story of a grandparents love for a child and his love and devotion in return.*Lillian B

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The late Tomie DePaola was an Italian-American author whose every book, every step shattered the stereotype of what Italians are. Tomie had a great heart, nothing Tony Soprano about him. His books for kids were meant to change the world, and even in this day and age that change is still being felt. This book is about two special people, a grandfather named Bob and his grandson Bobby. As an infant, Bobby learns from Grampa Bob how to walk, first one foot, then the other, taking time with each step. This info will come in handy when Grampa suffers a stroke, and it's up to Bobby to give back to Grampa Bob the lesson about walking Grampa once gave little Bobby. It's one of the most moving portraits of family bonding I've ever read. I've even had to fight my own emotional numbness to get feeling into my soul, as I'm 51 now and have fond memories of my own grandfather, Francis John Hackett, legally blind but it never stopped him from seeing what was truly beautiful about life. Tomie DePaola didn't so much reopen an old wound in my soul as he gave my scarred heart new strength. In a way, his death has given me new life. If it's same for you, then his mission on earth is complete, and I still believe, even with his passing, his mission is just warming up. His message is complex yet simple: every journey in life involves that first step, one foot, then another, taking time.
Four stars
Tomie walks the talk!

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, NOW ONE FOOT, NOW THE OTHER is a wonderful multigenerational story of the relationship between Grandfather Bob and young grandson, Bobby.

The story begins with the grandfather teaching young Bobby how to walk by holding his hands and encouraging him to take one step at a time. Later, when Grandfather Bob is recovering from a stroke, Bobby finds ways to connect with his grandfather who is no longer able to talk or walk. Bobby believes that he grandfather recognizes him and he uses familiar objects and routines they once shared, to connect once again with his grandfather. Eventually, Bobby is able to help his grandfather learn to walk again, one step at a time just like grandfather had taught him when he was a baby.

This book is heartwarming and provides an opportunity for parents, care givers and teachers to assure children that when grandparents are no longer able to do some of the things they use to do, there are still ways to connect and love one another, including connecting through shared memories

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Show, don't tell" is advice given to all writers.

But with picture books, certain qualities of relationship can be hard to convey, especially when showing how close little Bobby becomes with his grandfather. Tomie dePaola uses exactly the kind of detail to convey closeness that would be meaningful to young, and youngish, children.

Then he builds much of the narrative from those well-chosen details (as it seems to me, not that I could ever get into the vividly colorful mind of Mr. dePaola.) Awesome job, whyever and however he did this first half of the book.

Also I admire how the words of the title are baked right into the story.

As for the part of the story about the illness of Bobby's grandfather, it is told with such sensitivity. So touching!

And speaking of sensitivity, Goodreaders, note the language from Bob on the very last page. Some readers will notice. And if they're like me, they'll be even more moved.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about those simple moments in life that happen. They are small, but they make a lifetime connection.

Grandpa Bob and Grandson Bobby are close. They are best friends. They play blocks together and tell stories together and Bobby taught Bob how to walk. This make up the tapestry of their lives. It's a nice relationship.

I've watch my niece and nephew. Neither of them have a close relationship with their grandparents. They like them being around and they like the money, but it's not a close one. I guess it's a rare gift to have this.

Bob has a stroke and it's like their relationship changes. Bobby has to know help Bob learn to walk again and on and on. At first Bobby is very scared of his grandfather, but he gets over it.

The artwork is pencil and overlays and the new edition was colored digitally. The artwork is nice and it feels like being safe at home.

Kids who love their grandparents will enjoy this.