Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie dePaola (1981) is an emotional story about the relationship between a young boy and his grandfather. We watch the grandfather teach the young boy to walk and play with blocks. The grandfather tells stories, especially the one about teaching the little boy to walk. Then one day, the grandfather has a stroke and is hospitalized for months. When he returns home, he cannot walk or talk or even recognize family members. But the little boy helps him heal. Roles reverse. The little boy helps his grandfather to eat, to talk, and to walk. Illustrations are classic de Paola; this time the pallet is limited to shades of blue, beige, and green.
