Where Do People Go When They Die? (General Jewish Interest) (Life Cycle) [Hardcover]

Mindy Avra Portnoy (Author), Shelly O. Haas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Life Cycle

Children ask different adults and themselves about death and receive a wide variety of answers. Includes an afterword and suggestions for parents.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. The age-old question gets some thoughtful answers in this to-the-point book. A child asks her father where people go when they die. Father answers, "They are buried in the ground . . and become part of the earth and of nature." Mother talks of heaven, Grandfather says the dead go into our memories and become part of our minds. The child's aunt talks about how those who die go into our hearts: "They are with us when we cry and when we laugh." The child comes to her own conclusion: "When we die we go to God, who is Everywhere." The answers are slightly more elaborate than the above quotes, but written at a level even young children can understand. Portnoy, a rabbi, concludes with several pages of suggestions for parents, advising them of other questions children might ask and ways to answer. Dignified watercolors illustrate the text. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158013081X
• ISBN-13: 978-1580130813
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL!!!, September 2, 2008

By 

E. Kerwin (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where Do People Go When They Die? (General Jewish Interest) (Life Cycle) (Hardcover)

I initially bought this when my young sister-in-law died and I had to explain it to my 3 year old. It was so phenomenal that I loaned it out to friends who lost family to help their children deal with their grief. Now that my father is terminally ill, I have had to buy it a second time because I know that my now five year old and her three year old sister need it desperately to help them. I am also planning to buy copies of it for the local hospitals for kids visiting loved ones and kids who are ill. A fantastic book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For my children--and for me, May 23, 2008

By 

Dreamdog (PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Do People Go When They Die? (General Jewish Interest) (Life Cycle) (Hardcover)

I first looked at this book while my mother was terminally ill. I thought it was thoughtfully written, but too open-ended for my family; we believe in a specific sort of afterlife, and I thought this book might water down what we have already taught our children about what happens after death.

However, after my mother died, I found myself recalling this book, and simple as it was, it still had something to teach this adult. I remembered the various answers the narrator receives to his question, and the truth of each one hit me at various times while I was first grieving. Just the memory of this picture book comforted me.

I look forward to sharing this book, with its soothing (but not boring) illustrations, with my 4-year-old and my 10-year-old. (The 10-year-old is older than the target audience, but if Mom can learn from it, he can too.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars just what we needed, November 17, 2007

By 

"Stephanie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Do People Go When They Die? (General Jewish Interest) (Life Cycle) (Hardcover)

This was just the book we needed when my sister died. It helped us explain it to our young children (ages 3 and 5).