FICTION

What Happens When a Loved One Dies?: Our First Talks About Death

by Jillian ROBERTS
illus. by Cindy Revell. 32p. (Just Enough: Difficult Topics Made Easy). ebook available. Orca. Apr. 2016. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9781459809451.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—This title about the hows and whys of death is a necessary addition to any children's collection. Roberts does a commendable job providing answers for the practical questions surrounding death ("What happens when someone dies?…. That person's body stops working") and the spiritual ("Where does that person go?…. Many cultures believe that a person is made up of both a body and a soul"). Roberts chooses to forgo a formal narrative style, instead opting for a question and answer format. This allows for the introduction of different and diverse families into the narrative. Colorful illustrations focus on the many emotions and traditions of grieving, giving young readers opportunities to make textual and visual connections.
VERDICT Because of the lack of materials on death and grieving in many children's collections, this title is highly recommended for purchase.
Reviewed by Paige Mellinger, Gwinnett County Public Libraries, Lillburn, GA
This bibliotherapeutic offering provides simple, accessible answers to common questions about death ("What happens to the person who has died?"), which are voiced in the text by children of varying ethnicities, each of whom is surrounded by a loving family. While this is a serviceable starting point, the lack of a non-spiritual viewpoint and the focus on death as a product of old age limit its usefulness.
 , Apr 01, 2016

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