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Once Upon a Memory
From bestselling author Nina Laden and bestselling illustrator Renata Liwska comes an enchanting, imaginative story for fans of They All Saw a Cat .
Does a feather remember it once was a bird? Does a book remember it once was a word? A boy is swept away to a world where fantasy and reality come together in surprising and playful ways. From the cake that once was grain to the ocean that once was rain, whimsical before and after scenes offer readers a peek at the world as seen through the eyes of a curious child.
Nina Laden's poetic and cleverly woven text is perfectly paired with artist Renata Liwska's captivating illustrations.
Does a feather remember it once was a bird? Does a book remember it once was a word? A boy is swept away to a world where fantasy and reality come together in surprising and playful ways. From the cake that once was grain to the ocean that once was rain, whimsical before and after scenes offer readers a peek at the world as seen through the eyes of a curious child.
Nina Laden's poetic and cleverly woven text is perfectly paired with artist Renata Liwska's captivating illustrations.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2013
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365 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
April 18, 2018
This is beautiful in so many ways. I love the illustrations. I love the remembering, especially where things came from. I love seeing things in a way of a boy's imagination. I love having both human and animal as characters. And the ending is great. But I'm not sure kids will connect to it the way teens and adults might. There is so much nostalgia and sweetness in this--is that over their head? I'm definitely going to try it in storytime. And lap-read of this will be such a tender experience. I do love this muchly.
12/2/15 Finally figured out a way to use this in storytime. The theme was friends, because I figured they looked like friends in the pictures. But I used this in our Early Literacy moment. Brought out the fishing pole and letters, and the kids (one at a time) looked at a page spread and saw the two words in color, then fished for the letters those two words began with. When they all had a turn, I read through the rest of the book rather quickly until we got to the end. The overall sweetness got a bit lost using the book this way, but I think the adults still got it.
4/18/18 Used in Literacy Moment for M theme. Tiny crowd and too young. Only one child volunteered at the insistence of her grandmother. But we went through the rest of the book together out loud and I emphasized letter sounds instead.
12/2/15 Finally figured out a way to use this in storytime. The theme was friends, because I figured they looked like friends in the pictures. But I used this in our Early Literacy moment. Brought out the fishing pole and letters, and the kids (one at a time) looked at a page spread and saw the two words in color, then fished for the letters those two words began with. When they all had a turn, I read through the rest of the book rather quickly until we got to the end. The overall sweetness got a bit lost using the book this way, but I think the adults still got it.
4/18/18 Used in Literacy Moment for M theme. Tiny crowd and too young. Only one child volunteered at the insistence of her grandmother. But we went through the rest of the book together out loud and I emphasized letter sounds instead.
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January 26, 2014Have you ever wondered how you started life? What about story, or a song? Everything has a beginning, but does everything remember what that beginning was? In "Once Upon A Memory" by Nena Laden we will talk about memories. We all have them. Some good and some bad, but we are reminded that we should always remember where we came from and who we once were.
Opening Moves: Lay groundwork of to understand theme, activate background knowledge, personal connections, prompt to notice details, raise questions, prompt predictions based on title, provide background information
I chose this book because of how important memories are. We should always try to remember what we were to see how far we've come. It is also a very sweet story with wonderful illustrations that I believe will help young readers to be more introspective.
Review: 2013, October 14. Publisher's Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0...
Opening Moves: Lay groundwork of to understand theme, activate background knowledge, personal connections, prompt to notice details, raise questions, prompt predictions based on title, provide background information
I chose this book because of how important memories are. We should always try to remember what we were to see how far we've come. It is also a very sweet story with wonderful illustrations that I believe will help young readers to be more introspective.
Review: 2013, October 14. Publisher's Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0...
January 6, 2014
I thought I would be reviewing a children's picture book. After all, both Nina Laden and Renata Liwska produce children's books.
As I read it I saw myself reading in the circle of light cast by a low-watt lamp, a child snuggling under the covers as the words and pictures created a soft, comforting rhythm.
I was seduced by Ms. Liwska's dreamy illustrations and Ms. Laden's deceptively simple lines. But look closer and you will see those drawings are underpinned by some dramatic pencil work and the words lead you through very grown-up concepts.
So go ahead, read this to your child. They will enjoy the silly things happening in the pictures and will be saying the lines along with you. Just be ready for that child to ask you "Why are you crying?" as you read the last line (which I won't reveal).
I received a review copy from the publisher and I know Nina Laden.
As I read it I saw myself reading in the circle of light cast by a low-watt lamp, a child snuggling under the covers as the words and pictures created a soft, comforting rhythm.
I was seduced by Ms. Liwska's dreamy illustrations and Ms. Laden's deceptively simple lines. But look closer and you will see those drawings are underpinned by some dramatic pencil work and the words lead you through very grown-up concepts.
So go ahead, read this to your child. They will enjoy the silly things happening in the pictures and will be saying the lines along with you. Just be ready for that child to ask you "Why are you crying?" as you read the last line (which I won't reveal).
I received a review copy from the publisher and I know Nina Laden.
December 9, 2022
A sweet little story that shows how memories become a part of us and play a part in shaping our imaginations as well.
Una pequeña y dulce historia que muestra cómo los recuerdos se vuelven parte de nosotros y juegan un papel importante en la formación de nuestra imaginación también.
Una pequeña y dulce historia que muestra cómo los recuerdos se vuelven parte de nosotros y juegan un papel importante en la formación de nuestra imaginación también.
August 10, 2016
A feather floating through a window sets in motion a boy’s curiosity about the world. He wonders whether a cakes, book, garden, and island remember their beginnings. One page opens with a question, such as “Does a statue remember it once was… and the opposite page reads the answer: “stone?” Laden’s verses leave gaps for the pictures to fill, and a sense of childlike wonder is reflected in both the text and images of Once Upon a Memory.
Liwska’s beautiful hand sketchings were inspired by her observation of animals in the natural world, and their antics throughout the story are enchanting and delightful. A textured feather graces one of the endpapers, and Liwska’s bears are expressive and perfect for the story. Here is a story that reminds us to step into childlike wonder and awe, and to reflect on love’s beginnings and the beauty of the natural world.
I appreciated the rhyming verse in this story as well as the humorous and fantasy-filled pictures with their expressive bears, birds, and ducks. The cover of the book with the boy perched, reading in the tree with the owl and squirrel drew me to the story, as well as its title, reminiscent of fairy-tale beginnings. There are dinosaurs and even a raccoon. This is a delightful, warm, and reflective fantasy picturebook, perfect for a read-aloud, and perfect as a discussion starter for sharing memories and creating new ones. I love the double-page spread at the conclusion of the book, and think Liwska’s style is a fantastic match for Laden’s text.
Full Review on the blog: Spirit of Children's Literature
Liwska’s beautiful hand sketchings were inspired by her observation of animals in the natural world, and their antics throughout the story are enchanting and delightful. A textured feather graces one of the endpapers, and Liwska’s bears are expressive and perfect for the story. Here is a story that reminds us to step into childlike wonder and awe, and to reflect on love’s beginnings and the beauty of the natural world.
I appreciated the rhyming verse in this story as well as the humorous and fantasy-filled pictures with their expressive bears, birds, and ducks. The cover of the book with the boy perched, reading in the tree with the owl and squirrel drew me to the story, as well as its title, reminiscent of fairy-tale beginnings. There are dinosaurs and even a raccoon. This is a delightful, warm, and reflective fantasy picturebook, perfect for a read-aloud, and perfect as a discussion starter for sharing memories and creating new ones. I love the double-page spread at the conclusion of the book, and think Liwska’s style is a fantastic match for Laden’s text.
Full Review on the blog: Spirit of Children's Literature
February 5, 2014
Once Upon a Memory” written by Nina Laden and illustrated by Renata Liwska is the warm story for children that talks about need to remember our past, of memories what was once and not forgetting all that has led us to today.
The story starts when a feather will drift through one boy window starting his journey while he will follow magical feather to the fantasy world. On the way that is put in front of him, boy will meet cute animals while his story will be intertwined with motives of our memories, asking our young hero and reader questions such as “Does a book remember it once was a word?”, “Does a chair remember it was once was a tree?”, "Does love remember it once was new?", …
“Once Upon a Memory” is a story that awakens longing, warmth of heart, book full of lyrical motifs that compels the reader to recall some nice memories of what was once. And although this book contains small of text it should be enjoyed slowly, page by page, because every sentence however brief raises many questions and awakens many memories.
Not often is the case that in a picture book adults can enjoy equally as, if not more, than the kids whom we are reading, but “Once Upon a Memory” is such an example. This beautiful book can be fully recommended both for text and illustrations, but also due to the feelings that evokes.
The story starts when a feather will drift through one boy window starting his journey while he will follow magical feather to the fantasy world. On the way that is put in front of him, boy will meet cute animals while his story will be intertwined with motives of our memories, asking our young hero and reader questions such as “Does a book remember it once was a word?”, “Does a chair remember it was once was a tree?”, "Does love remember it once was new?", …
“Once Upon a Memory” is a story that awakens longing, warmth of heart, book full of lyrical motifs that compels the reader to recall some nice memories of what was once. And although this book contains small of text it should be enjoyed slowly, page by page, because every sentence however brief raises many questions and awakens many memories.
Not often is the case that in a picture book adults can enjoy equally as, if not more, than the kids whom we are reading, but “Once Upon a Memory” is such an example. This beautiful book can be fully recommended both for text and illustrations, but also due to the feelings that evokes.
December 20, 2013
Opening Lines: Does a feather remember it once was … … a bird?
Synopsis:
The first double-paged spread is wordless. It is a a tender bedroom scene of a young boy surrounded by his stuffed animals when a gust of wind wafts a feather into the room. The pages continue with a series of questions about the nature of change and memory in nature and life. The real is transformed into fantasy as the animals participate in the before and after moments on the pages, where the reader takes a whimsical look at a chair which was once a tree or a more abstract look at an island that was once alone.
Why I like this book:
Poetic musings/questions about the transitions in life, both in nature and in the abstract. It is a lyrical pot-pourri of philosophy, biology and memory. The text and Liwska’s pencil and mixed media illustrations have a dreamy quality that draw the reader into the experience. The rhyme is gentle and wonderfully unexpected, though children will naturally want to leap in and try and predict the answers. This is a quiet but utterly captivating book on memory – a delight to eye, ear and heart! It concludes by asking the child if she/he will remember their childhood. I think this is the sort of book a child will treasure for years.
Synopsis:
The first double-paged spread is wordless. It is a a tender bedroom scene of a young boy surrounded by his stuffed animals when a gust of wind wafts a feather into the room. The pages continue with a series of questions about the nature of change and memory in nature and life. The real is transformed into fantasy as the animals participate in the before and after moments on the pages, where the reader takes a whimsical look at a chair which was once a tree or a more abstract look at an island that was once alone.
Why I like this book:
Poetic musings/questions about the transitions in life, both in nature and in the abstract. It is a lyrical pot-pourri of philosophy, biology and memory. The text and Liwska’s pencil and mixed media illustrations have a dreamy quality that draw the reader into the experience. The rhyme is gentle and wonderfully unexpected, though children will naturally want to leap in and try and predict the answers. This is a quiet but utterly captivating book on memory – a delight to eye, ear and heart! It concludes by asking the child if she/he will remember their childhood. I think this is the sort of book a child will treasure for years.
January 4, 2014
Lyrical and sweet, this lovely, gentle book invites the reader to pause and reflect. One could blow through it, feel only the surface of each sentiment. But this is one to savor, slowly, page by page.
Between Laden’s lilting questions and Liwska’s soft images, alive with gesture and heart, the reader has been handed a complete experience in looking back.
The preschool teacher at our school read it with her students. Young children are born storytellers and delighted in a book full of questions to set them off on their own journey of sharing. The teacher told me she wished she could spend a week in this book, letting her little ones delve into art activities planned around each and every page. She’s cool like that.
This is a beautiful book to share in a small group or with a one in a lap. Prepare to be inspired to share your own reminiscences, as I was. Reading the creators’ favorite memories shared in the back of the book, I traveled with delight down my own memory lane.
You can support authors and independent booksellers by shopping Indie: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978031...
Between Laden’s lilting questions and Liwska’s soft images, alive with gesture and heart, the reader has been handed a complete experience in looking back.
The preschool teacher at our school read it with her students. Young children are born storytellers and delighted in a book full of questions to set them off on their own journey of sharing. The teacher told me she wished she could spend a week in this book, letting her little ones delve into art activities planned around each and every page. She’s cool like that.
This is a beautiful book to share in a small group or with a one in a lap. Prepare to be inspired to share your own reminiscences, as I was. Reading the creators’ favorite memories shared in the back of the book, I traveled with delight down my own memory lane.
You can support authors and independent booksellers by shopping Indie: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978031...
January 16, 2014
Maybe I need to add a shelf for quiet books?
This one reminds me of A Hole is to Dig
an unusual concept book, and more for parents and family to share with children than just children on their own.
But it is such a perfect book for sharing, and for those kids who DO wonder, and daydream, and ponder such things.
Liwska's illustrations are soft, appealing, warm, winsome (something about the eyes) and full of lovely little details: the polka dot red mugs the little boy uses sitting in his chair, and some of the animals in the tree have; the plant diagram on the chalkboard, the apple on the teacher's desk; the statue that looks like the NYPL's library lions; the young lovebirds being serenaded by a little chipmunk playing a violin; and the list of personal remembrances at the end.
LOVE.
This one reminds me of A Hole is to Dig
an unusual concept book, and more for parents and family to share with children than just children on their own.
But it is such a perfect book for sharing, and for those kids who DO wonder, and daydream, and ponder such things.
Liwska's illustrations are soft, appealing, warm, winsome (something about the eyes) and full of lovely little details: the polka dot red mugs the little boy uses sitting in his chair, and some of the animals in the tree have; the plant diagram on the chalkboard, the apple on the teacher's desk; the statue that looks like the NYPL's library lions; the young lovebirds being serenaded by a little chipmunk playing a violin; and the list of personal remembrances at the end.
LOVE.
February 1, 2014
Book that asks children to think about what things used to be like, think about the opposites of something. I like the idea of talking to children about the origins of certain things. The left side of the illustrations showed the young child looking at an item, the right side showed animals using the item before it became something. It would be interesting to also look at how animals vs people use things. I loved the endpapers - the author included a list of her (and the illustrator's?) favorite things to remember. A great springboard for a list to create and then use when writing.
February 2, 2014
This is a gorgeous and sweet book, in poetry, asking questions about remembering. A young boy, with his stuffed animals goes on an adventure, musing about different objects, both large and small, imagining their memories of “being”, all the way to the world. For example, “Does a cake remember it once was…grain? Does an ocean remember it once was…rain?” I imagine memories coming forth, in prose and in poetry, through using this book as a mentor text. Please find and read!
December 5, 2013
AGE: Preschool-1st grade
Laden presents a valuable concept in a children's book: examining the origins of something. She looks at concrete things like a chair, and a cake, but she presents more abstract concepts such as an island (it once was unknown) and a book (once was a word). This would be a teacher's treasure once they found it for lessons on inventions or discussing imagination.
Laden presents a valuable concept in a children's book: examining the origins of something. She looks at concrete things like a chair, and a cake, but she presents more abstract concepts such as an island (it once was unknown) and a book (once was a word). This would be a teacher's treasure once they found it for lessons on inventions or discussing imagination.
May 8, 2015
What a lovely picture book...in illustration, tone, and sentiment. My reaction at the end was "awwww" and goosebumps. I can see using this as a mentor text/prompt for student imitative writing pieces. This is the kind of picture book I would buy as a gift for a new baby.
July 27, 2015
Just dreadful. The pictures are OK, but the whole concept and how it is written is awful: trite, insipid, predictable, contrived, and yuck!
September 6, 2020
Summary: This book is about remembering where things came from. The format of each page is does a _____ remember it once was.... (next page) ... a ______. The pictures are soft and almost dream like, alluding to the memory aspect of the book. Each page shows a boy going about day to day activities and coming across different things and considering if they remember where they came from.
Opinion: As an adult reading this book, I thought it was very sweet and reminiscent of childhood curiosity and wondering where things come from. In my opinion, I don't think a child would be too captured by the pictures or the plot but it is a good book for beginning readers because it repeats lots of words and doesn't have but a few words on each page.
How I would use it: I could use this book in therapy to work on influencing skills by using picture and context clues to try and guess what it used to be. This is also just a good book for encouraging curiosity and discovery. The very back of the book offers an opportunity to discuss with the child who is reading the book some memories they have that they are fond of, which I thought would be good for teaching kids to brainstorm and maybe have them choose one of those memories to right about.
Opinion: As an adult reading this book, I thought it was very sweet and reminiscent of childhood curiosity and wondering where things come from. In my opinion, I don't think a child would be too captured by the pictures or the plot but it is a good book for beginning readers because it repeats lots of words and doesn't have but a few words on each page.
How I would use it: I could use this book in therapy to work on influencing skills by using picture and context clues to try and guess what it used to be. This is also just a good book for encouraging curiosity and discovery. The very back of the book offers an opportunity to discuss with the child who is reading the book some memories they have that they are fond of, which I thought would be good for teaching kids to brainstorm and maybe have them choose one of those memories to right about.
April 14, 2021
I can only describe the illustrations as adorable. Reading this story I fell in love with the story and its illustrations. It would be a beautifully sweet story to read to a child as they fall asleep. The story follows a question and answer sequence. One page would ask if they remember and the other would give the answer. It felt like these were questions I would've wondered about as a child but as a adult they never cross my mind. The origin of objects is not something I normally think about but a child is always wondering where something came from. I love how at the end of the story the author includes a question, "What are some of your favorite things to remember? It made me think about my childhood and what I remember. I remember my granny's snuggles the most and my love to explore the unknown.
February 5, 2020
Once Upon a Memory paints a picture of a young boy who is curious about the world around him. He ask a lot of questions, bringing imagination and reality together.
This is a very sweet story. The rhymes fit perfectly. The pictures are a cute combination of animals and people. I really liked this book.
This book is a perfect book for younger children who may be struggling with reading. It is short and simple with larger, but not too complicated words. It could be used in a younger classroom to teach children about rhymes and poetry, as well as nature and the origins of many things around us.
This is a very sweet story. The rhymes fit perfectly. The pictures are a cute combination of animals and people. I really liked this book.
This book is a perfect book for younger children who may be struggling with reading. It is short and simple with larger, but not too complicated words. It could be used in a younger classroom to teach children about rhymes and poetry, as well as nature and the origins of many things around us.
August 4, 2018
It's a picture book, but really seems like it was written for adults. For a child, it will open their minds to considering what exists beyond what's right in front of them. But while reading this with a child ... you'll be reminded the present cannot exist without the past. What a DEEP picture book!
April 23, 2018
Plenty of room around the words, ideas, and pictures to give readers room to dream. I love the questions here, and look forward to sharing this with young writers. (Is this open ended enough to generate a variety of interesting responses? Not sure.)
September 22, 2021
3.5 stars
Honestly, I loved this book. My 3.5yo could take it or leave it. Maybe it'd work better for kindergarten age. But I absolutely loved the text and the simple illustrations were perfectly matched for the text.
Honestly, I loved this book. My 3.5yo could take it or leave it. Maybe it'd work better for kindergarten age. But I absolutely loved the text and the simple illustrations were perfectly matched for the text.
January 10, 2024
Ilustraciones tan tiernas y una manera tan bella de hacerte recordar la infancia, en el caso de los más pequeños, entender quizás la etapas. Ahora quiero anotar en mi journal los momentos especiales que recordaré.
June 10, 2017
Thoughtful book with lovely Liwska illustrations.
First Line: "Does a feather remember it once was...a bird?"
First Line: "Does a feather remember it once was...a bird?"
June 30, 2017
Sweet, contemplative book good for one on one readings with elementary students. Could even be used with upper elementary with the right set. Probably less suited to group readings.
June 15, 2018
LOVE this one! Definitely going to make a purchase to add to our home library! Such short sweet rhymes and the illustration on simple but really sell the story.
January 26, 2019
This is one to gift for sure. Love the whimsical illustrations and rhyming.
January 28, 2019
Simply lovely
June 8, 2019
Very poetic rhythm and it does rhyme (although the rhymes are across many pages).
Just a sweet book about things that have grown or grown-up and changed over time.
Just a sweet book about things that have grown or grown-up and changed over time.
October 22, 2019
Really beautiful illustrations and sweet little story.
September 8, 2020
This is such a sweet rhyming story; quiet, contemplative, softly illustrated. One line as an example: "Does an ocean remember it once was ... rain?" Makes one stop and consider.
October 28, 2020
Soft, dreamy illustrations for a moving story. Lovely!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews