A useful work for Christians addressing genuine questions from youngsters learning about death for the first time.
A young boy innocently asks questions about what happens after his grandfather dies in this faith-based, kid’s-eye-view debut book.
Jaxon doesn’t understand why Mommy is crying; he knows that when he and his parents and little sister sit around the kitchen table together, he feels safe. When Mommy explains that Grandpa went to heaven, Jaxon isn’t sure what that means. “But Mommy, I will miss Grandpa. When can I see him again?” he asks. As Jaxon processes what it means to lose his grandfather, his mother, quietly dealing with her own grief, explains the situation the best that she can, teaching Jaxon and his sister that Grandpa has become their Guardian Angel, and that he’s gone to keep God company. In heaven, Grandpa isn’t sick anymore. But it takes some time for Jaxon to understand this. He wants to know when Grandpa will return to his house, and when he’ll get his things back. When Mommy explains that heaven has everything that Grandpa needs, Jaxon wants to know if they have pizza in that celestial realm, or TV, or books. Jaxon wonders whether Grandpa will miss his dog, who now lives with Grandma Dee. Later, after the funeral, which Jaxon only understands as “church was kind of boring,” the boy desires to visit Grandpa in heaven, and wants to know how Grandpa got there without driving his Jeep. Mommy is finally able to explain that Grandpa is still in Jaxon’s memories and dreams, and that Grandpa will watch Jaxon grow from heaven. Full of beautifully painted illustrations of a middle-class Caucasian family, Mahrholz’s tale and Jaxon’s very realistic questions should offer comfort to young readers from similarly Christian families. Adults may wonder why the idea of death is so thoroughly skirted—Mommy explains that angels took Grandpa, but never mentions that his body was left behind, for example—and some may question the doctrine of the Guardian Angels or the idea that “we can say our prayers to God and to Grandpa every night.” Ultimately, the volume will likely appeal to families with similar worldviews.
A useful work for Christians addressing genuine questions from youngsters learning about death for the first time.Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4575-5224-3
Page Count: -
Publisher: Dog Ear
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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