Death is a tough topic. I have to admit to being wary of requesting this one to review. Do you remember how death was explained to your as a child? I must have been told something about going to sleep and just not waking up because I recall being afraid of going to sleep for some time. A well meaning, softly handled explanation but one just never knows how a child's mind will process such a complicated event, especially since the sadness about them is hardly comforting.
This book offers a means to open a dialogue. It's a mix of another, more hopeful, cultural approach to broaching the topic with children. To be simplistic, its focus is on a bit of a combo of a native beliefs that see death as another step in life. You walk on after death. It's vague, yes, but helps a child envision the concept of them still be with us, just not visible. I thought of the Disney movie "Coco", in fact, as I thought about this one, so the Hispanic concept of the Day of the Dead played into my interpretation of the text. It gave me a focus, that death can be a celebration, too, not just sad. The tone is a mix of sadness and, yes, hopefulness, reminding us that as long as our memories last, no one is truly gone. They live on.The lovely illustrations by Rafael Lopez match the tone. They offer a mix of colors and motion in a somewhat subdued color palette. Pay attention to the colors and designs/patterns, too, as they contribute to the theme.
I particularly liked that the author doesn't present the material as the ultimate, "this is it answer". He's obviously still searching, too, and it's very obvious how much he took this topic to heart in the sections at the end. The book can, however, present an avenue to discussion, perhaps ensuring we no longer frighten our young children about going to sleep at night after tackling the topic of death. There's even a recipe, a subtle reminder that memories keep us alive, often through no more than a taste or smell. Thanks #MacmillanChild'sPublishingGroup and #NetGalley for making this available to me early. It certainly served to stir some memories and, yes, bring a smile to my face as a result.
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