Stein Erik Lunde

The story of a restless night for a father and son as they cope with the grief of losing a wife and mother. The father and son talk, look at the stars, and hold each other close. This story perfectly captures the feeling of grief; you can really feel the sadness and emptiness of these characters on this cold winter night. The text is haunting and gentle and the illustrations are so different from anything I've seen: photographs of 3-D paper sculptures with simple pen and ink drawings. The last page of the story feels all too true for families dealing with loss: "'Everything will be all right,' says Daddy. 'Are you sure?' 'I'm sure.'" I can see this book stirring up a lot of questions and conversation.… (meer)