Grandpa's Window

by Laura Gehl, Udayana Lugo (Illustrator)

Overview

Every window at the hospital faces dull, gray buildings—except the one in Grandpa’s room. Grandpa can see the ocean every day! When Daria visits, she and Grandpa look out at the beach, hoping they will build sandcastles and fly kites together again.

This touching exploration of a child’s experience of loss offers an unexpected ending, encouraging creativity and self-expression in the midst of grief.

Grandpa’s Window addresses the grieving process, both as a family member approaches the end of life as well as after death. The book includes a note for adults by Dr. Sharie Coombes (www.drsharie.com), child and family psychotherapist, about how to support children who are grieving the loss of a loved one. A discussion and activity guide for children written by Laura Gehl will be available February 2023 at flyawaybooks.com/resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781947888401
Publisher:	Presbyterian Publishing
Publication date:	03/14/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Laura Gehl is the author of Apple and Magnolia, which received three starred reviews and was called “a gem” by School Library Journal. Her nearly two dozen books for children have received many accolades and been included on numerous best-of-the-year lists. She lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland. www.lauragehl.com.

Udayana Lugo is a self-taught illustrator who creates her art with a variety of traditional media. She has designed everything from jewelry to auto parts, but children’s books are her passion. She lives in Vancouver, Canada. www.udayana-lugo.com

Editorial Reviews

2022-10-26
Daria processes her grandfather’s death.

“Most of the windows at the hospital [look] out on dull, gray buildings,” but Daria’s grandpa’s window looks out over the ocean. When Daria, a tan-skinned kid with black pigtails, visits, they watch the waves together and talk about what they’ll do once Grandpa, who is light-skinned, feels better. Sadly, Grandpa’s condition worsens; one day he is “too weak to move to a chair,” and later he relies on an oxygen mask. Daria stays by his side, keeping his spirits up. Gehl gently signals Grandpa’s death across two wordless spreads: one where Daria’s parents (one of whom is tan-skinned with dark hair; the other of whom is light-skinned with brown hair) have a tearful conversation with her; and another where Daria cries herself to sleep, her bedside lamp illuminating a photograph of her and Grandpa. Lugo’s poignant images allow adults to choose how they want to describe Grandpa’s demise (though backmatter by Dr. Sharie Coombes, a child psychologist, recommends that adults use clear, nonabstract terms). When Daria and her dad go to the hospital to collect Grandpa’s belongings, “Daria carrie[s] Grandpa’s window”—not a physical one but rather the drawings she created to comfort Grandpa. Offering a tender view of one girl’s experience, this powerful picture book shows children that they can feel both heartbreak and ongoing love simultaneously. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A touching window into a child’s mourning process. (organizations offering support on grief) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews