Some of the Pieces [Library Binding]

Melissa Madenski (Author), Deborah Kogan Ray (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1991 | Age Level: 7 and up

It has been a year since Dylan's father died, and Dylan, his younger sister and their mum spend time telling stories about dad and sharing their memories of him. They talk about their feelings and of how the pain of missing dad gradually lessens as their joy in remembering him grows stronger.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-- A young boy whose father has died is walking with his little sister and their mother ``to where the river meets the ocean,'' where they throw the last of his ashes into the water. They play in the sand, walk back through the woods, and return home. There the boy--who seems about eight or nine--reminisces about his father, and recalls the process of coming to terms with his grief. Full-color illustrations rendered in pastel, charcoal, and watercolor are gentle in tone and, in most instances, complement and extend the text. Readers see a warm, loving father cooking breakfast, skipping stones with his son, and tussling with him on the floor. Especially poignant are the descriptions of the child's emotions after his father suddenly, unexpectedly, dies. Books on this subject usually work best when shared between adults and children; this is especially true for this work, since the flashbacks and changes in tense may prove confusing to young readers. For many, however, this book will be of great comfort. --Eve Larkin, Chicago Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Months after Dad's sudden death, a young boy reminisces about the family's happy times together as he goes with Mom and his little sister to scatter the last of Dad's ashes at a river; they have also put some in other places Dad loved--the ocean, their garden. In the carefully woven narrative, well-chosen specifics form a gentle picture of a family whose comforting memories are gradually transforming their sharp grief; in the end, the boy realizes that ``There's a part of Dad in us, too.'' Ray provides misty, beautifully constructed illustrations in muted tones, her generalized faces and settings lending the story universality. A good addition to its genre. (Picture book. 4-9) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Juv) (October 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316543241
• ISBN-13: 978-0316543248
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,353,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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