María Wernicke

With sparse yet striking illustrations and beautifully simple words, the author/illustrator take children on a journey out of their minds and into their hearts. It's a story intended to let little ones know that while yes, time marches on and sometimes we lose those most important to us along the way, we never REALLY lose them...they are always in our hearts. The only reason I mention "intended" in my description is because I do believe, if a child were to read it on their own, they may not initially make that connection between loss and grieving, but rather they may focus on the possible imagination angle of the story. While it does in fact work that way as well, it's not what it was intended to share...thus, I do believe it would be a great addition to a parental figure's repertoire to help their wee ones through tough times like these, should they arrive.

In the end, the pages are eye catching, while the story pulls on the old heartstrings, and though its intended use is remarkable, the fact that it can work on other levels too simply adds to the appeal.


**copy received for review; opinions are my own… (meer)