Customer Reviews

The Goodbye Boat

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by SMFran Gangloff@aol.com

In a 28-page color picture book titled The Goodbye Boat, Mary Joslin, writer, and Claire St. Louis Little, color illustrator, (Grand Rapids Mich., Win. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999, hard cover) present a message about dying, a message in pictures and words where the emotions of grieving find hope in a boat sent out to sea. The pain and sadness of saying "goodbye" find a resurrection motif in the boat sailing out of sight and into a new place. Appropriate and meaningful for all ages, the book holds special appeal for children and those guiding children through the death experience of a grandparent or someone close. I read the book to the young grandchildren of my sister after her death. These children asked me to reread the book to them several times, and each time they had new questions for me. This book offered me a wondeful way to say how Grandma had gone away on the sea of eternity.

Unfortunatly, this is the only book that I have found that is appropriate for toddlers.

Because preschoolers and toddlers take adults words very literally, and generally think of death as something reversible, "The Goodbye Boat" is not a good good book to explain death. In the book, the grandmother dies and sails around on a ship. This gives children the impression that when people die, they go on a boat ride and eventually return.

This book is very confusing for young children. A good alternative would be "When Dinosaurs Die"

Simple, easy to understand, maybe a bit too simple, seems specific to losing a grandparent, could be less about a grandparent and include different members of a family. Bought this for my 3 year old granddaughter that's lost her Daddy. Not sure if she'll think she may be losing her Nana soon. Still so little out there written for a very young person. Seems like we mostly believe only older people die.

Saying goodbye to someone you love is always hard. Saying goodbye when someone you love dies is perhaps the hardest thing of all.

I remember those days when I left for boarding school or to emigrate to America. I was the one leaving in those days. I was on a Goodbye Boat. Later, I stood & watched others leave for faraway places or, as is inevitable, leaving life.

Few words, rich pictures, extra-ordinarily rich pictures & a lot to think about!

For every family raising conscious children - when grandparents & pets & friends die & go away.

A simple, passionately illustrated meditation of life & death & life.