Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Illustrated by Julie Vivas
1984
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge was a young boy who lived next door to and old people's home. He knew all the old people that lived in that home, but "his favourite person of all was Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she had four names just as he did." They were good friends and Wilfrid shared all his secrets with her. One day, he overhead his parents talking about the fact that Miss Nancy had lost her memory. Not quite sure what a memory is, Wilfrid embarks on a quest to figure it out with the help of all the people at the old folk's home. He gathers different definitions of memory from all his friends. A memory is something: warm, from long ago, that makes you cry, that makes you laugh, "something as precious as gold. Wilfrid then collects items that fit each description and brings them to Miss Nancy.
This is one of the sweetest picture books I've ever read. I love the connection between the young boy and the old folks. Wilfrid's friendship with each one of them is memorable and the illustrations are gorgeous. It also has one of the most beautiful final images: "and the two of them smiled and smiled because Miss Nancy's memory had been found again by a small boy, who wasn't very old either." One for the favorite's shelf and a great one to discuss memories and memoirs.
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