Illustrated by Fabiana Faiallo
5 stars
A sweet picture book for helping children cope with the death of a friend or classmate.
Violet is Mia’s best friend. She brings sunshine to every day. But after Violet dies, everything changes. With the help of others, Mia is able to learn ways to remember, grieve, and say goodbye to her best friend.
Sweet illustrations. I love the way the background colors correspond with Mia’s emotions.
Nicely written. The narration doesn’t shy away from the difficult emotions Mia experiences including anger, confusion, and sadness.
Mia learns to remember Violet in various ways, such as talking about her, making a memory chain, showing kindness to others, and creating a memory box. Nice representation of support systems and the inclusion of parents, teachers, classmates, and counselors. I also really love the low-waste idea of blowing bubbles to say goodbye to someone who has died.
Includes a note at the back with more information on talking to children about death and grief, and different ways to remember their loved ones.
A wonderful resource for talking to children about death and loss.