Why We Created the Little Memory Adventures Children’s Book Series | Helping Young Children Understand Dementia
Why We Created the Little Memory Adventures Children’s Book Series
Helping Children Understand Dementia Through Love, Kindness and Stories
When people think about dementia, they often think about the person living with the condition, their spouse, their adult children, or their professional carers.
But there is another group deeply affected by dementia that is often overlooked.
Children.
Every day, thousands of children spend time with grandparents, great-grandparents, neighbours, family friends, and loved ones living with dementia.
Many children notice changes before adults realise they have questions.
“Why does Grandad keep asking me the same thing?”
“Why doesn’t Grandma remember my name?”
“Why does Nan think she needs to go home when she’s already there?”
“Does Grandad still love me if he forgets me?”
These are enormous questions for a small child.
Unfortunately, many families struggle to find resources that explain dementia in a way that is gentle, reassuring, age-appropriate, and easy to understand.
That is why we created the Little Memory Adventures series.
Why We Created These Books
The idea was born from real-life dementia care.
Over many years supporting people living with dementia and their families, I witnessed something powerful.
Children often understood far more than adults expected.
When given honest, simple explanations, children showed incredible kindness, patience, empathy, and understanding.
The problem wasn’t that children couldn’t understand dementia.
The problem was that nobody was explaining it to them in a way they could understand.
Many resources are written for adults.
Many focus on the clinical aspects of dementia.
Many can feel frightening or overwhelming for young children.
We wanted to create something different.
Something warm.
Something hopeful.
Something reassuring.
Something that helps children understand that even when memories change, love remains.
Who Are These Books For?
The series has been designed primarily for children aged 3–5 years old.
However, many children aged 6–7 will also enjoy the stories and conversations they create.
The books are ideal for:
• Families affected by dementia
• Grandchildren of people living with dementia
• Nurseries and preschools
• Reception and Key Stage 1 classrooms
• Childminders
• Dementia-friendly schools
• Community groups
• Libraries
• Healthcare and support organisations
Each story is designed to be read together, creating opportunities for meaningful conversations between children and the adults who care for them.
More Than Just Dementia Books
Although dementia awareness is at the heart of the collection, these books are about much more than dementia.
Every story gently introduces important life skills and values including:
❤️ Kindness
❤️ Empathy
❤️ Patience
❤️ Communication
❤️ Inclusion
❤️ Cultural understanding
❤️ Family relationships
❤️ Intergenerational connections
❤️ Life stories and memories
❤️ Respect for older people
The goal is never to teach through fear.
The goal is to teach through love.
Representation Matters
One of our biggest ambitions for this collection is to ensure that every child can see themselves reflected within the stories.
Dementia affects every culture, every community, every religion, every background, and every family structure.
Yet many children’s books still fail to reflect that diversity.
Our collection intentionally includes:
🌍 African families
🌍 South Asian families
🌍 East Asian families
🌍 Middle Eastern families
🌍 Mixed heritage families
🌍 White British families
🌍 Multigenerational households
🌍 Children with disabilities
🌍 Different faiths and traditions
🌍 Diverse communities from around the world
Because every family matters.
And every story deserves to be told.
The First Book
The first title in the series is:
Monty and the Memory Owl – Love Stays in the Heart
This gentle story introduces children to Lucy, her beloved Grandad, Monty the dog, and Memory Owl.
When Lucy notices that Grandad sometimes forgets things, she becomes worried.
With the help of Memory Owl, she learns an important lesson:
Memories can sometimes become mixed up.
But love never disappears.
The story helps children understand dementia while reassuring them that relationships remain meaningful even when memory changes.
Why Now?
Worldwide, dementia diagnoses continue to increase.
More families than ever are navigating dementia while raising young children.
Many parents tell us they simply don’t know how to explain dementia to a child.
We believe children deserve honest answers.
We believe families deserve resources that help those conversations happen naturally.
Most importantly, we believe understanding should start early.
When children grow up understanding dementia, disability, ageing, inclusion, and empathy, they become more compassionate adults.
That benefits everyone.
Looking Ahead
Monty and the Memory Owl is only the beginning.
The Little Memory Adventures collection will continue to grow with stories exploring:
📚 Family traditions
📚 Cultural heritage
📚 Memory boxes
📚 Music and memories
📚 Life story work
📚 Inclusion
📚 Friendship
📚 Learning disabilities
📚 Intergenerational relationships
📚 Community and belonging
Every book will remain true to one simple belief:
Every Memory Matters.
Every Family Matters.
Every Story Matters.
At The Dementia Companion and The Dementia Assistant, our mission has always been to support people living with dementia and the people who love them.
Now, we are extending that support to the youngest members of our communities.
Because understanding starts with conversation.
And sometimes, the most powerful conversations begin with a story.
⸻
Louise Donaghy
Founder, The Dementia Companion & The Dementia Assistant
https://thedementiacompanion.com
https://thedementiaassistant.com