Customer Reviews

What's Heaven?

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The author's name drew my attention to the book, but was not why I bought the book. Professionally (school psychology and christian education), I felt the book spoke to children. It takes seriously the questions they ask. It explains things in terms that make sense to them. The author tried to expand the understanding of death and heaven beyond her Roman Catholic background. I think she was mostly successful; at least the book opens room for discussion. This is not a theological text, but a simple book explaining a child's questions about death. I bought the book for my granddaughter two days before her great-grandfather died. Her Mother read it to her as they sat in the Memorial Garden right after the inurnment. They sat and talked and cried. They both liked the book. But the real proof is the fact that later that afternoon when all the family was around, my granddaughter was found sitting quietly in a corner reading the book again to herself.

I heard about this book from a friend after my husband passed away suddently. My seven year old daughter was helped tremendously by this book. She has had this book read to her time and time again. Whenever she is feeling sad or confused about her farther's death, she pulls the book out and ask for someone to read it to her. This book has meant alot to her and is written on a level for young children to understand a difficult topic. I highly suggest that this book be purchased for children coping with the death of a loved one.

This little book will do much to help a child begin to understand the enormity of death. The point of it is not to argue whether there is a Heaven and whether everyone will go there, but to create a safe haven for children to ask questions and receive a little comfort. I used this book to help explain to my 3-year old about my dad's death and used it simply as a tool, skipping over parts I thought she wouldn't understand and expanding on the ones I thought she would. She has come through with the understanding that grandpa is in Heaven (and who is going to explain the complexities of the ideas Heaven and Hell to a 3-year old and frighten them in the process??) and that she will always have her memories of him in her heart to help keep him alive. It also explains that it's OK to be sad and cry if it helps you to feel better about your loss. My daughter has been comforted by that and that's all that matters. This is a childrens' book, after all, geared toward childrens' understandings...not a theological debate.

I bought this book for my 6-year old brother when our father was dying of cancer. (I am in my early 30's, FYI.) I thought that my brother needed some kind of tangible representation not only of death but also of what to expect at the funeral.

The important part of this book is that it introduces children to the idea of death and to the ritual of a funeral and to one conception of what happens after we die. In the case of my brother, it opened the doors of communication so that he could ask everything he wanted to know about death. And when my father did die, my brother was prepared. He wasn't surprised by anything that happened because he had a comfortable understanding of what was going on around him.

I give Shriver great credit for creating this valuable book. It is not a replacement for communication within the family, but it is a good jumping-off point for discussions.

One of the best books written on the topic of what death means to young children. I especially liked how Maria Shriver explains what constitutes the soul of a person. The illustrations are beautiful. I recently gave this book to my 5-yr old nephew who lost his dad, and he showed a lot of interest in the book, and learned from it. I believe most grieving adults would also find some comfort and peace after reading it.

Maria Shriver does a beautiful job of putting together a story that helps explain loss to children...and she should know. She has lost many loved ones in her life, among them our country's president, her Uncle Jack (Kennedy), when she was eight. Her family had to endure much intrusion into their private grief during that difficult time for our nation.

In What's Heaven, young Kate's great grandmother has died and she has questions, many questions. In a recent interview, Shriver stated that she had many questions about death when she was young, but couldn't ask them because in her family death was not talked about. Many of her questions remained inside her into adulthood. When her grandmother, Rose Kennedy, died, her own daughter began asking her the same questions Maria had as a child. Questions that were never answered. Thus, this book was born.

Kate wants to know why her mother is sad. Mother answers that her grandma, Kate's great grandma, has died and gone to heaven. Naturally, Kate asks what heaven is, so mother explains, and that brings on more questions. Kate wants to know if animals and people go to the same heaven, and why she can't see heaven, and how you get there, and what's a funeral, a soul, and...???

The book is sensitivly written by Shriver and beautifully illustrated by Sandra Speidel whose wispy, soft pastels give the reader a heavenly feeling as the book is being read. The book is a nice size, being just under 8" square. The paper used is smooth and pleasant to the touch with ample white space between lines of text. Each set of facing pages has text on one side and a pastel painting on the other.

What's Heaven is a treasure and a gentle, loving way to help children understand what happens when someone dies. It will also open up a healthy conversation between adult and child about the loss of loved ones. Losing a pet is often the first death of a loved one a child experiences (our five-year-old granddaughter will often say she misses their dog, Junior, but she knows he's in heaven. She is comforted by that thought). We've had some sad losses in our family, but we are a family that talks about those we love who have left us. Talking about our memories of loved ones helps to keep them alive in our hearts and minds, which seems much healthier than shutting those memories away. As young Kate says to her great grandmother while looking skyward at the end of the book, "...I want you to know that even though you are no longer here, your spirit will always be alive in me."

Carolyn Rowe Hill

When my daughter died from SIDS two years ago, my four year old was so confused. Trying to explain death and heaven to someone that age was so hard. My grandmother bought me this book and I couldn't wait to read it to her. It gave such loving explanations to some of the questions even I couldn't answer in the words a four year old would understand. I highly recommend this book!

The book came to light when the author, Maria Shriver, lost her grandmother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, and had to explain this loss to her two young daughters at the time. The book consists of thirty-two pages sharing discussions between a girl named Kate and her mother. The mother is very sad one day and explains to Kate that grandma died. Kate is full of questions that the author's own daughter had asked.

On each page the pastel illustrations portray the scenes described on that particular page. Sandra Speidel has won awards for her previous pastel illustrations in children's books. The first picture shows a girl sitting among the flower pots with her mother sharing a special moment, possibly reflecting on the life of the loved one who just passed away. Next Kate asks about Angels and the illustration shows an Angel sailing through the sky.

Kate learned that each member of her family carries a piece of the relatives that are in Heaven and she was taught to believe in herself. Kate went outside to play and glanced up at the sky leaving a message for her great-grandmother, " your spirit will always be alive in me".

I was pleased with the way this book handled the questions young children might ask at a time when a loved one dies. I felt this was suitable for any faith, as this did not delve into any certain religious practices. I would think this would be a good book for a Sunday school class to read as well as for children over the age of four or five in a pre-school setting and regular classrooms.

I would certainly get this book when the time is right and the subject needs to be addressed. It would be worth having on staff in the Hospital for families to read when someone passes on, especially in the Children's ward. With more families having their elderly relatives living with them, this is a subject that might need to be addressed. What's Heaven? will help in dealing with the loss of family pets as well as when tragedy hits in the media and in our schools.

I bought this book after our 16 year old daughter died in her sleep suddenly and without explanation. On the anniversary of her death, I struggled to find a reading for a memorial service at her graveside. Uninspired and not comforted with Biblical verses, I picked up What's Heaven? for the first time and read through it. Divine intervention lead me to the book, and I read it to assembled friends at Julia's memorial service. Maria Shriver adeptly grasps what is so very hard for a grieving parent to put into words. To those who condemn this book, some losses are so very, very difficult that you MUST find comfort however it comes to you. What's Heaven? gives us that comfort.

I am a christan, and reading the bible to a 7 year old child is a good idea, but it does not explain it to them on their terms. You can combine this book with the teachings of christianity, and explain death much better to a young child then the bible alone. This book is beautifully written and is perfect for helping a child to deal with the loss of a loved one and explains to them on their level, in words they can understand.