Cassi and the House of Memories
by Dean Stuart
Synopsis:
A timely, poetic, and age-appropriate graphic novel about how dementia impacts families through the eyes of a loving grandchild, Cassi and the House of Memories follows a little girl on her journey to save her beloved grandfather as his memories start slipping away. With breathtaking art and a touch of fantastic magical realism, the book provides context and comfort for young readers experiencing the impact of memory loss on their loved ones.
A dazzling journey through memories past gives one girl the chance to save her grandfather–as long as she can find him in time.
Cassi loves spending time with her grandfather. His games, songs, and stories have always brought her endless joy. This visit with him, though, is different: Grandpa seems to be losing track of things, including everything from the stories they’re sharing to who Cassi herself is. So when he goes missing after wandering off from his own backyard, Cassi knows she has to figure out where he’s gone.
What she discovers is a world filled with memories, none of them her own. As she leaps from one memory to the next, she knows she’s getting closer and closer to finding her grandfather—but only if she can make sure he doesn’t slip away forever.
Author Bio:
Dean Stuart is an illustrator and a gallery artist. Over the course of his career, he has created art for galleries, magazines, and graphic novels. He lives in Oakland, California. Cassi and the House of Memories is his debut graphic novel.
From his author statement: “I’ve always had a fascination with memory and how we retain memories through storytelling. While my
father was going through the stages of dementia, memory became this delicate and precious thing. I felt anxious that it could disappear at any moment and realized how little I knew about what my father was going through. In the darkest moments I would ask myself: where is he right now? It was a feeling of fear and curiosity at the same time.
Shortly after my dad passed, I sat down to write and reflect on it all. There was a deep longing to connect with my memories of him. I also wanted to express my confusion and helplessness. Writing from Cassi’s naïve perspective allowed me to approach the experience with curiosity instead of fear. That encouraged me to connect with my father again through the love of storytelling.”
Copyright © 2025 Dean Stuart. Reproduced by permission of Viking Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.