I appreciate that this book presents death as a normal part of life. I repeat—normal! Simple. Real. An ending. Both pathos and wry humor. I could see using it as a book club selection; also as a way into discussions about dying and death with family members, even children. Loved by adults and children, parents and grandparents, also suitable for schools, grief centres and counsellors Loved by adults and children, parents and grandparents, also suitable for schools, grief centers and counsellors Few readers could fail to be impressed in one way or another, by this outstanding book. It’s haunting and it’s hopeful. What more could anyone ask of great literature?

The puppetry is impeccable, with Wilson and McNeil sharing so deftly you would swear there was twice the number of puppeteers. The flow of the story is gentle and intriguing, and the New Entrant audience that filled Downstage the day I saw it was utterly entranced. From award-winning author and illustrator, Wolf Erlbruch, comes one of the world’s best children’s books about grief and loss. Voted one of the 100 greatest children’s books of all time by the BBC.JANELLE: As we read and discussed this book in class, we all were cognizant of the fact we had begun April’s My Take/Your Take with a book on death — the Batchelder winner for 2017 entitled Cry, Heart, But Never Break (Ringtved, 2016). So comparisons were made across these two titles that each have a unique explanation for and about death and couch the message if sensitively told narrative. Since the U.S. doesn’t have many books that deal so boldly with sensitive issues, these books were intriguing, although the plan was not to focus on the issue of death but to tap into award winning books and their creators from different countries. just the other side of the coin. Hasn’t he got the most endearing face? Do you think of him as a he? From award-winning author and illustrator, Wolf Erlbruch, comes one of the world's best children's books about grief and loss. Voted one of the 100 greatest children's books of all time by the BBC.

At the moment Older Brother, Little Brother and I are in the middle of an intense week of rehearsals for the Ryedale Festival’s Community Opera (in North Yorkshire, UK) – this year’s production is a modernised version of the 15th Century English morality play Everyman by Em Whitfield Brookes and Tim Brookes. In a nutshell, it is about Death sent by God to summon Everyman, who is not at all ready, spiritually, to meet his Maker. She is scared stiff but as they talk, visit the pond and climb trees, her initial fear gives way to acceptance and friendship as her life moves inevitably towards its end. Most adults don’t know exactly how to breech the ominous subject of death with their children and often come up with a euphemistic metaphor that may far from adequately explain the end of life. So for a book to be able to offer children, and their parents, a clear and uncompromising view of death without being too scary or saccharine is a triumph. From award-winning author and illustrator, Wolf Erlbruch, comes one of the world’s best children’s books about grief and loss.Cuter as a child-narrated video, but the message is worthy enough to justify this less-evanescent medium.