Too Far Away to Touch [Hardcover]

Leslea Newman (Author), Catherine Stock (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 1995 | Age Level: 5 and up

Zoe's Uncle Leonard makes her feel special, taking her out to lunch and star-filled afternoons at the Planetarium. Though ill and always tired, he surprises her by decorating the ceiling in her room with hundreds of glow-in-the-dark stars. Uncle Leonard can't promise Zoe when or if he will ever get well, but he reassures her he will always love her and, like the stars, be "close enough to see."

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?This is a beautifully done, quiet tale that will be meaningful to all children who have lost a beloved relative to any illness, but especially to AIDS. Leonard, Zoe's favorite uncle, takes her to the Hayden Planetarium. As they enjoy the show and the twinkling sky, Uncle Leonard explains that the stars are too far away to touch but close enough to see. When they return home, he covers the ceiling of her room with glow-in-the-dark stars. Because Leonard is losing his hair and tires easily, Zoe begins to wonder about him dying. When they take a special nighttime trip to a beach, he reassures her that although he will not be close enough to touch when he dies, he will always be there for her in her memories. The soft watercolor paintings add to the warm tone. A special story of the enduring nature of love.?Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-9. Zoe looks forward to her outings with Uncle Leonard, but now that he has AIDS, some things are different: most of his hair has fallen out, he takes pills, and he tires quickly. Following a trip to the planetarium, he puts glow-in-the-dark stars on her bedroom ceiling. When Uncle Leonard and his friend Nathan take her to the beach one evening, Uncle Leonard reassures Zoe that when he dies, he'll be "too far away to touch, but close enough to see," just like the stars. Written with honesty and restraint (and only one mention of the word AIDS), the story has a universality that will touch readers of any age who face the death of a loved one. Stock's expressive watercolor illustrations reflect the innocence of the child and the beauty of the book's message. Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; 1St Edition edition (March 27, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395689686
• ISBN-13: 978-0395689684
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,202,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lesléa Newman is the author of 64 books for readers of all ages including the middle grade novel, HACHIKO WAITS, the poetry collection, STILL LIFE WITH BUDDY, the short story collection, A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK, and the children's books A SWEET PASSOVER, THE BOY WHO CRIED FABULOUS, THE BEST CAT IN THE WORLD, DONOVAN'S BIG DAY, and HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Her literary awards include poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. A past poet laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts, she is a faculty member of Spalding University's brief-residency MFA in Writing program.