Tag Archives: Grief

Perfect Picture Book Friday: THE BOY AND THE GORILLA Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! Fall is definitely upon us here in New England – mornings are crisp and cold – days are sunny and warm. The days are getting shorter – and I’m definitely not a fan of that…but the good thing is that longer nights mean more time for reading great picture books…like this one by Jackie Azúa Kramer. The book launches October 20…and it’s already snagged THREE starred reviews. And if you leave a comment and share the post on social media, you might be the lucky winner of a brand-new copy!

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Happy Book Birthday to FINN’S FEATHER

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Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Finn’s Feather, Happy Birthday to you!

I’ve really been looking forward to the launch of this book! The author, Rachel Nobel, is one of my fellow Storm teammates. When my husband passed away last month, Rachel sent me a copy of her book because she hoped it would comfort me. And it did.

finns feather

FINN’S FEATHER

Written by Rachel Nobel

Illustrated by Zoey Abbot

Published by Enchanted Lion Books (June 12, 2018)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Coping with loss

Synopsis: From Amazon: 

Finn knows his brother is gone. But he also knows that Hamish sent the beautiful white feather on his doorstep.
Finn runs to show his mother the feather from Hamish, but she only gives him a big hug. In school, Finn’s teacher responds similarly. Why isn’t anyone as excited as he is? Finn sits quietly, cradling the beautiful, amazing feather. “Why did Hamish give it to you?” asks his friend, Lucas. “Maybe he wanted to say hi?” wonders Finn. “Maybe,” Lucas says, “Hamish wanted you to have fun with it.” Finn’s Feather is a story about resilience and memory―about a child, his brother, and a friend who meets him where he is.

Why I like this book:

  • Fabulous illustrations
  • Kid-friendly scenes at school, playground, home with Finn and his friends doing and saying exactly what kids do and say…children will be able to identify with Finn
  • This is a story filled with hope and heart
  • Powerful example of how we can be the most help to someone who is grieving…often by just being there. 

Coping with loss is something we all have to do…and it can be especially difficult for young children who usually don’t have a lot of experience with it. Rachel used her own family’s personal loss to craft a story that would help others…and we are all so grateful to her. It takes a great deal of courage to do something like this. And now we have this perfectly  lovely story that is heading out into the world!

I’m also heading out into the world…flying to Chicago tomorrow to visit with family and hopefully hook up with some writer friends in the Chicago area.