I can honestly say that I did not enjoy this because I thought that it was sad and the grandmother dies. However, the only thing I liked about this book was how real it was. Sometimes I believe that authors try to avoid the topic about death. However, this author did a really good job on explaining that.
One thing I did like a lot about the book was the illustrations in the book are very real and very distinct pictures. For example, when the grandmother is sick, you can see in the picture that she is very tired and very grey, which is a sign of dying as well.
The second thing that I did like about this book was the writing. The little boy goes to see his grandmother who is sick but not fully aware of what is going on. However, when the little boy sees his mother crying, he starts to understand. I also like that the author didn’t say “died” she said “never saw her again” and I think that is a way of saying someone died without actually saying “died.”
I think the big idea of this book is about death and how to cope with it. I believe that this is the big idea because the little boy had to find a way to accept the death of his grandmother and not in a grieving way but understanding and learning about something that is much bigger than us. ( )

This is another great book for helping young children understand the concept of death and grief.

Summary (Spoilers): Xiao Le has a close relationship with her grandma, even if she doesn't get to see her very often. It's always special when Xiao Le's grandma is able to make a visit to her home. On one of her visits, Xiao Le's grandma passes away. Xiao Le shows that she is wise beyond her years by offering comfort to her grieving mother, reminding her that her grandma still shows them that she is with them in one way or another, and will live on forever in their hearts.

This was a beautiful but sad story of a young boy who uses is grandmother. I loved the beautiful illustrations that captured the innocences of the little boy.

This would be a good book for a unit on families, and possibly bibliotherapy for children dealing with death. ( )

batchelder honor book
beautiful illustrations; book may be difficult for children to understand ( )