Everett Anderson's Goodbye

I ordered this book to read with children in my school who are dealing with the death of a loved one. It is a wonderful book.

This is one of my all time favorites. A beautiful, tender book about a small boy going through the five stages of grief. A book that reaches out to you and comforts you.

I read this book the first year I was in the pastorate, some 14 years ago or so. It has been the perfect book to help my younger staff people understand the process of grief. This book has never failed to bring up the emotions of loss which every staff member has suffered. The five stages of grief, is a universal understanding which has helped every adult I have worked with, to understand how they are "normal" in their feelings. Further, every staff person I have worked with, has bought this book. We use it more for adults, than for children. (Though it is very good for children.) The reason why, is because the verse is very sharp and connects with the soul of people. The adult empathizes with the little boy. This, in turn, connects the adult with the universal nature of grief. I could spend hours upon hours of counseling grief without this book. With this book, most of my parishoners who have suffered loss, work through the stages with heads up and eyes open... tears and all. All have moved through the stages without fixating very long in any of them. Lucille Clifton, is simply a genius. Ann Grifalconi (illustrator) brings the genius to Clifton's wise and calming verse with her warm charcoal illustrations. Thank you, ladies.

This is a simply written book about a little boy who goes through the five stages of grief after the death of his father. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the book still brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it. Lucille Clifton is an excellent author who uses simplicity with great beauty. This book is good for young children 3-5 who are trying to understand and deal with grief. I would definitely recommend this with no hesitation!

This is absolutely the best book out there for a young child who has lost a parent. Written by Lucille Cliffton in simple rhyme, it goes through the 5 stages of grief. As the last stage of grief is acceptance, it ends with "and no matter what happens when people die, love doesn't stop and neither will I." The illustrations of this young African American boy and his mother are charcoal line drawings ~~ beautifully illustrating the profound loss this child has suffered, affirming the loss and yet reassuring the reader that acceptance and peace will come.