The cheerful, engaging illustrations and straightforward text in Wishing on a Star describe favorite activities and experiences that fill each person's day. Individuals with memory impairment and their caregivers will enjoy the familiar and friendly images: waking up to the sound of birds singing, playing with pets, cheering for a favorite team. The pictures and text in this third book in the Two-Lap Book® series will address two of the major challenges faced by caregivers: communicating with a person with memory impairment and finding meaningful ways to fill the time.

Styled with the appeal and simplicity of a children's book but created for adult audiences, this Two-Lap Book can serve multiple purposes:

• Stimulate conversation and reminiscence

• Encourage physical closeness and interaction

• Provide a calming diversion from an upsetting episode

• Inspire intergenerational exchanges with children

• Increase social interaction between staff and residents

• Promote reading skills in residents who retain their literacy

Reading Wishing on a Star is an instant activity—no planning or preparation required. Open it to a favorite illustration … read it from start to finish ... or select just a page or two to spark an exchange. Plus, tips on how to promote engagement with the book are provided. Here is a natural and unlimited opportunity to rebuild connections for the person with dementia, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and related disorders.

Lydia Burdick, M.A.

With a master's degree in Clinical Practices (psychology), Lydia Burdick's career has been in human resources. Since 1993, she has been a consultant at an international outplacement firm. Lydia wrote The Sunshine on My Face in the course of caring for her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "One of my greatest pleasures," she says, "was sitting together with my mother and hearing her read the words from this book when she had otherwise stopped speaking almost entirely."

A Two-Lap Book® is a trademark owned by Lydia Burdick.