Illustrated by Cindy Derby
4 stars
A gentle story of grief and loss that presents ways to keep a person with you after they are gone.
After the death of his mother, a young boy must cope with the ways his life has changed and the grief he feels at her absence. A wise gorilla appears who answers his questions and guides him with support and encouragement.
A nice emphasis on keeping a person’s memory alive by talking about them and doing things they enjoyed.
The artwork is beautiful. Gentle and soothing.
The story uses some euphemisms like “she’s always with you” that may be unclear to young children who think more literally, but it works as a nice starting point for talking to children about death and grief.