The corner of my eye by Colin Thompson

Walker Books, Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781925381931. hbk., picture book.
(Age: 7-12). Highly Recommended. Themes: Family, Grandparents, Vision, Memory loss. Colin Thompson has taken us on many journeys through his books but this one I feel is the ultimate book that tries to explain what it is like to get old. It is a highly complex book that takes the reader on a journey which will leave you realising what it may be like to have memory loss (dementia).
In this story Sally tries to help her grandfather to find something he has lost. He can't describe it or name it for her, but she is determined to help him to find it. Her family says he just "lost his marbles" but she assures them he knows his marbles are in the blue biscuit tin. She searches the house, the garden and, through the illustrations, we see all the rooms in his house and all the seasons in typical, amazing Colin Thompson detail. Ultimately Sally solves his problem in a satisfying way using something that was always a tradition with her family, chocolates at Christmas.
The illustrations are varied, vivid and amazing. The full-page pictures of the various rooms provide hours of fun finding all the funny little things hidden in them. You can spend days looking and discussing the things in Thompson's illustrations and this is no exception.
Not a book for young children, this will enchant and enthrall older children who have an ageing grandparent and may assist them to understand the unsettling nature of dementia. Thompson's use of some real photography in some of his illustrations enhances his already rich drawings. A wonderful addition to the Colin Thompson collection.
Gabrielle Anderson