What's Heaven?

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.

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.

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.