Customer Reviews

Grandma's Gone to Live in the Stars (Concept Books (Albert Whitman))

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some years ago, during a meeting of a Children's Book Illustrators' Guild, Max Haynes passed around the storyboards for this wonderful book. It was so touching that many of us had a hard time holding back tears. I remember he was concerned that the topic of death might make it hard to find a publisher for this book. 8 or 9 years later, it has finally seen print.

No surprise to me it's been so well rated. I'll be buying a few copies for family and friends.

Thanks, Max... this book will give words to a lot of families who don't know what to say to young kids after the death of a loved one, and is going to be a treasured favorite for many. I'm so glad you kept with this book and saw that it was published. I've been watching for it for a long time.

...When my mother-in-law goes to live in the stars soon, I will read this to my precious 3 year old Sofia without reservation. Thanks Max .. such a beautiful book.

A wonderful, beautiful book that is suitable for preschool age children, even if they don't seem to understand at the time. Here's my story:

The day after my mother died, I read this book to my 3.5 year old son and told him that the grandma in the book is like Grandma Bertha. He was very quiet afterwards and did not ask any questions.

Two weeks later, we were reading a book about outer space, and my son pointed to a picture of deep space outside of our solar system and said, "there's where Granma is."

So even if you think your preschooler is too young to understand, this book does a lot to help them cope with the death of a grandmother.

"Grandma's Gone to Live in the Stars," by Max Haynes, is a children's book about the death of a grandmother. The book is simple in concept and execution: Grandma is shown saying goodbye to her sleeping family (including the cat and dog), her garden, her town, and the earth. She ascends (with wings) into the sky, saying "Hello, Stars!"

The book is nondenominational, although the wings on Grandma may reflect Christian pop-culture iconography. And the book does imply that there is an afterlife, although it is vague about the nature of that afterlife.

The simple text is nicely complemented by colorful, cartoonish illustrations. This book could be a good resource for parents who are seeking a way to teach their children about death. However, parents with strong beliefs specific to their own religion (Hindu, Jewish, Roman Catholic, etc.) may want to get a book more geared to that tradition.

This is an excellent book to share with children who are dealing with grief, whether it's for a grandparent, any friend or member of their family, or even a pet. Haynes' simple yet evocative text, and his soft drawings, present a gentle, moving story of a grandmother who takes time to say goodbye to everything she loves after she has died and before she goes to live in the stars. Librarians and teachers will welcome this book, recommending it to families with young children who are trying to cope with a death in their family.

It's very difficult to talk with young children about death, but Haynes' book approaches the subject in a gentle, loving way that will help children understand and give families a way to start talking. The author's illustrations, particularly the ethereal Grandma, are perfect for this book.

After my Mom passed away, I had to figure out exactly how to explain it in an easy way to my 2.5 yr old. This book was such a blessing. It gave me the right words and really helped me feel at peace with the explanation. Very sweet illustrations and simple wording, that gets the point across gently. Every time we go out at night, we now look for our shiniest Grandma star in the sky.

This is one of the best books for helping children feel unafriad of death. It is simply written and beautifully illustrated. I found a lot of comfort and peace from it. And I know it helped my children cope with the death of my mom.
I started reading this book to my 7 and 3 year olds as my mother's time came closer...she had ovavian cancer and we knew her time was short. It really helped them understand that grandma was going to died and that it was okay because she was going to heaven where she would watch over us. This book fits almost all religions because it is so simple that as a parent you can explain it to fit your own family religious views.

This book is ideal for the four year old crowd. Simple text with charming illustrations. Makes the point about death in a positive manner. Read it with my four year old child and have found it to be the most appropriate for her level. The book has provoked further conversations with my daughter about death, heaven and grandmas.

As a mother and early childhood educator, I found this book to be a bit unnerving, and am not sure of its usefulness with young children. Grandma is portrayed, after her death, as a heavenly, almost ghostly being, who visits earth, saying good-bye to family members, pets, and favorite earthly locations. The scenes of her visiting family members while they sleep, laying her hands upon them, are especially eerie. I question the appropriateness of leading young children into the realm of the hereafter, as this text begins to do. A questionable choice, at best, for talking with young children about this tender subject.