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
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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