Thank You, Grandpa

Art is beautiful Realistic Tears threatened A great way to respond to death

This is one of the books that helped my three-year-old understand and accept her grandfather's death. The "thank you" refrain gives you a way to focus on something positive without being insincere or dishonest. It's a sad book, and hard to read to a child, but--if you agree with "the experts" that it's important to be honest, share your own sadness, admit your own uncertainties, and allow children the opportunity to ask questions--it's an excellent resource. My daughter asked for this book two or three times after I read it to her, and she has made positive comments about thanking her grandfather and remembering happy shared experiences that were clearly inspired by it and, I believe, represented healing and acceptance. If you're in the same position I was recently, I can only say I'm sorry and good luck. Death of a loved one is hard enough for us adults. Explaining it to a child who had no concept of mortality is incredibly, poignantly sad.

I wasn't prepared at all and when I got to the page where the little girls grandpa is not longer walking with her I couldn't read further for at least two minutes because I had to cry. This book is really so nice but you should read it by yourself first.