Grief Loss and Bereavement

Children’s Book Review – Gracie Brings Back Bubbe’s Smile

 

GRACE BRINGS BACK BUBBE’S SMILE

Written by Jane Sutton

Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia

(Albert Whitman & Co.; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

 

GracieB rings Back Bubbes Smile cover girl with grandma

 

Author Jane Sutton and illustrator Debby Rahmalia’s picture book, Gracie Brings Back Bubbe’s Smile, was easy to enjoy. It brought me back to my childhood as I recalled all the Yiddish words my parents and other relatives used when I was growing up. I knew conversations were about money when I heard them use the word gelt. When kinder was mentioned, they were talking about me, my brother or my cousins. Yet this book is so much more than a book to introduce Yiddish to young readers. It’s a sweet, thoughtful story about how Gracie comes up with a way to help her grieving Bubbe (grandma) following her Zayde’s (grandfather) death.

Rather than come right out and tell Bubbe what she’s doing, Gracie uses her genuine curiosity to take her grandmother’s mind off her husband’s death by having her focus on something else. What a mature approach!

Gracie Brings Back Bubbe's Smile int1 gracie and grandma jogging
Interior spread from Gracie Brings Back Bubbe’s Smile written by Jane Sutton and illustrated by Debby Rahmalia, Albert Whitman & Co. ©2022.

 

Gracie may not have been grieving to the extent that her Bubbe was, but she still felt the loss. Her late Zayde had taught her many things and she missed spending time with him. And she could not help but notice how sad Bubbe was. So when Bubbe told her she didn’t feel like drawing a picture together and called her Bubala, recalling how  “Zayde and I loved using Yiddish words together,” Gracie grew interested in finding out more.

 

Gracie Brings Back Bubbe's Smile int2 gracie and grandma laughing together
Interior spread from Gracie Brings Back Bubbe’s Smile written by Jane Sutton and illustrated by Debby Rahmalia, Albert Whitman & Co. ©2022.

 

By asking Bubbe to teach her Yiddish words, Gracie is able to help her grieving grandmother engage and at the same time continue doing something meaningful. They can spend time together as Bubbe shares more Yiddish words and their meanings while keeping the memory of Zayde alive. In the end, not only does Gracie bring back Bubbe’s smile, but she also bonds with her in joyful new ways that heal them both. Sutton’s tenderly written multigenerational story of bereavement and healing is treated with care in Rahmalia’s cheerful illustrations that depict Bubbe’s loving relationship with her granddaughter. With its unique Yiddish angle, this picture book is a thoughtful, educational, and accessible read for children processing a loss.

  • Reviewed by Ronna Mandel
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Picture Book Review by Armineh Manookian – The Garden We Share

 

THE GARDEN WE SHARE

Written by Zoë Tucker

Illustrated by Julianna Swaney

(NorthSouth Books; $18.95; Ages 4-8)

 

The Garden We Share cover

 

Seasons bring change–in the garden and in life–in author Zoë Tucker and illustrator Julianna Swaney’s tender, intergenerational story, The Garden We Share, about love, loss, and hope.

 

The Garden We Share int1
Interior spread from The Garden We Share written by Zoë Tucker and illustrated by Julianna Swaney, NorthSouth Books ©2022.

 

Walking into a community garden on a crisp spring morning, a little girl and her elderly friend plant seeds, “each little dot full of hope and promise.” Elderly friends join in to help and share each other’s company as they pass the time together, waiting patiently until the plants finally “burst into life” and the garden is “a riot of color.” Swaney’s soothing palette of olive greens, mustard yellows, peachy reds, and poppy-pumpkin oranges provides spaces filled with warmth and comfort. 

 

The Garden We Share int2
Interior spread from The Garden We Share written by Zoë Tucker and illustrated by Julianna Swaney, NorthSouth Books ©2022.

 

 

Sometimes relaxing under the sun and sometimes busy with garden work, the little girl and her friend take their treasures into the kitchen, processing the beautiful bounty they’ve collected–all of which culminates into a jubilant feast for the whole community. 

 

 

The Garden We Share int3
Interior spread from The Garden We Share written by Zoë Tucker and illustrated by Julianna Swaney, NorthSouth Books ©2022.

 

As the season grows cold, petals “fall, and colors fade,” the little girl’s special friend is sadly “gone.” All she’s left with are the seeds of last season’s crops. But as the spring season returns anew, those “tiny dots” she plants spring up “big memories” of patience, stewardship, and fellowship.

 With quiet and calming overtones, The Garden We Share invites gentle conversations about death while lovingly cultivating a spirit of hope.

  • Reviewed by Armineh Manookian
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Three Children’s Books for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

A ROUNDUP OF RECOMMENDED READS

FOR

ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

 

 

tiny feet between the mountains cvrTINY FEET BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS
Written and illustrated by Hanna Cha
(Simon Kids; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

★Starred Review – Booklist

Author-illustrator Hanna Cha’s debut picture book, Tiny Feet Between the Mountains, tells the tale of Soe-In, the smallest child in a Korean village. But, being little doesn’t slow her down. Soe-In manages burdensome chores using wit and perseverance. When the sun disappears and the chieftain needs a volunteer, only Soe-in steps forward.

In the forest, she finds the spirit tiger is real, and in really big trouble—he’s swallowed the sun! Like the villagers, the spirit tiger first discounts Soe-In’s ability to help. However, brave, imaginative Soe-In saves the day.

Cha’s art shows the movement and mood of this powerful story. I enjoyed the images of the tiger because feline fluidity is difficult to capture. Her Author’s Note explains tigers are revered by Koreans; their country is shaped like one. The tiger as their spirit animal appears in countless Korean stories as a symbol of respect, strength, and dignity, both as a deity and a threat.

bilal cook daal coverBILAL COOKS DAAL
Written by Aisha Saeed
Illustrated by Anoosha Syed
(Salaam Reads; $17.99, Ages 4 and up)

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019
★Starred Review – Kirkus
An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book 2019

Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed is an upbeat picture book about friendship and cooking. When Bilal’s friends wonder why it takes his Pakistani family all day to make daal, he introduces them to the process, letting them choose the color of lentils for the stew they will enjoy together at dinnertime. As the day goes by, Bilal worries a bit that his friends won’t like the taste, but the delicious dish pleases everyone, demonstrating how food brings people together.

Anoosha Syed’s art focuses on the kids enjoying their day of play, a variety of emotions clearly captured. The daal’s vivid descriptions (“small like pebbles, but shaped like pancakes”) come to life through the illustrations. Close your eyes and let the simmering daal awaken your senses.

The Author’s Note explains daal is a staple food in South Asia, but lentils are enjoyed in many other places. Saeed’s recipe for Chana Daal is similar to what I grew up with in my household, bringing back warm memories. In these months of the pandemic where many of us are cooking wholesome meals, this hearty and healthy dish will please while filling the house with amazing aromas all day long.

summer bird blue cvrSUMMER BIRD BLUE
Written by Akemi Dawn Bowman
(Simon Pulse; $18.99 HC, $12.99 PB, $9.99 eBook, Ages 12+)

A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
★Starred Reviews – Booklist, Kirkus, School Library Journal

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman opens with a car crash. Seventeen-year-old Rumi Seto loses her only sister Lea, who’s also her best friend. Their mother, unable to deal, puts Rumi on a plane to Hawaii for an indefinite stay with Aunty Ani, their Japanese-Hawaiian side of the family.

Lea, two years younger, was the outgoing, happy-go-lucky sister. Rumi, the opposite personality type fits her “ruminating” name; often, she’s stuck in her head, turning things over, unable to step forward into everyday life. Though quite different, the sisters, shared a love of music, playing instruments together. They would randomly come up with three words, then write a song about it. (Summer Bird Blue, refers to the unwritten song that haunts Rumi after Lea dies.)

Rumi suffers in the angry and depressive stages of grief, vacillating between lashing out and crawling into bed for days on end. Her new surroundings include neighbors Mr. Watanabe (a grumpy octogenarian who becomes an unlikely companion) and Kai (the too-handsome, too-cheerful boy next door). As Rumi becomes closer to Kai, they go on a date, but kissing surfaces her confusion over her possible asexuality. Believing other teens have easy crushes and romance, Rumi’s self-doubt compounds after losing Lea.

The story’s lovely scenes centering around Rumi’s deep bond with music resonated with me. The moving descriptions include Rumi’s regard for Lea’s guitar, and Mr. Watanabe’s piano and ukulele. When transported into this world, Rumi’s passion ignites. However, anything musical involves Lea, and Rumi cannot process what to do without her sister, which furthers the painful introspection and turmoil.

I appreciate Bowman’s choice to spotlight a troubled, roughhewn protagonist struggling with a complexity of issues. Writing about grief, sexuality, and trying to understand life itself are ambitious undertakings, yet Bowman succeeds in weaving a truthful, heartfelt story that includes both honestly bitter moments and lyrically beautiful ones.

 

Find out more about Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month here and here.

 

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When a Pet Dies

Today Debbie Glade reviews a very important book about grieving when losing a pet.

Young or old, no matter what your age, nothing can really prepare you for the death of a pet. Good-Bye Jeepers: What to Expect When Your Pet Dies ($18.99, Capstone, Reading Level 2-3) by Nancy Loewen is ideal in helping parents explain the death of a pet to their children. Good-Bye Jeepers is a story about a boy (panda bear) who one day discovers his pet guinea pig, Jeepers, is rolled up into a ball in his cage, unresponsive. His parents explain to him what he already knows – that Jeepers has died. The story goes into the activities and feelings the boy experiences the day his pet passes away. Small boxes at the bottom of some of the pages gently explain to the reader the many different emotions that are a perfectly normal part of the grieving process. The simple, colorful illustrations by Christopher Lyles are a nice addition to the story. Losing a pet is such an important and sensitive subject, and I’m so glad there is a book like this to help a child get through it.

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