Remembering Ethan

by Lesléa Newman, Tracy Nishimura Bishop (Illustrator)

Overview

One of Bank Street’s 2021 Best Children’s Books of the Year

This is a tender book to read alongside some useful books about death, such as The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, The Memory Box: A Book About Grief by Joanna Rowland, and The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, beloved and bestselling author Lesléa Newman offers a tender tribute to a lost family member in this touching story that can help families start to heal. Ethan. Ethan. Ethan. Sarah misses her adored big brother with all her heart. She wants to celebrate all the fun times she and her parents spent with him. But ever since Ethan died, Mommy and Daddy won’t mention him. Sarah can’t even say his name without upsetting them. Why don’t they want to remember Ethan?
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433831133
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,107,794
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lesléa Newman is the author of 70 books for readers of all ages, including A Letter to Harvey Milk; October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard; I Carry My Mother; The Boy Who Cried Fabulous; Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed;Heather Has Two Mommies; Sparkle Boy; and Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story. She has received many literary awards, including creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, two American Library Association Stonewall Honors, the Massachusetts Book Award, the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Award, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, a Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fiction Writing grant, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, the Cat Writer’s Association Muse Medallion, and the Dog Writers Association of America’s Maxwell Medallion. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award Finalists. From 2005-2009, Lesléa was on the faculty of the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. From 2008-2010, she served as the Poet Laureate of Northampton, MA. She has taught fiction writing at Clark University and currently she is a faculty mentor at Spalding University’s brief residency MFA in Writing program. You can find Lesléa at lesleanewman.com or on Twitter @lesleanewman.

Tracy Bishop has a degree from San Jose University in graphic design, with a focus on illustration and animation, and is the illustrator of more than 20 children’s books. She lives in San  Jose, California. Visit tracybishop.com and @tracybishopart on Instagram and Twitter.

Editorial Reviews

A heartfelt and tender book about a family dealing with the loss of a child…. This book is a great resource for families to help their child deal with grief.” 

Talking About Books for Kids

A heart-breaking and heart-wrenching, a fact of life of resource for children that have lost a sibling.

Sunday Gatherings

“Remembering Ethan is a timely story concerning the loss of a loved one and the grief a young child and her parents inevitably experience. It is a valuable contribution to the seemingly limited body of children’s literature on the topic…. The warm illustrations throughout this poignant text bring it to life, adding emotion and realism to the contents.

Seattle Book Review

This touching picture book is heartbreakingly beautiful. The feelings that Sarah has as well as her parents are gently there for the reader to think about, especially if they have lost a loved one. Telling the story from Sarah’s point of view gives a voice to the feelings children may have after losing a sibling or other special person.” 

WriteKnit

06/05/2020

K-Gr 2—Sarah misses her older brother Ethan, who has passed away. When she attempts to express her feelings of sadness to her parents, they are distant and unable to communicate with her. Releasing her feelings on paper, she honors Ethan's memory by drawing a picture of the two of them together. This is just the thing she needed to get her parents to open up about their own grief and begin to grieve together as a family. Broaching a difficult but important topic, this heartbreaking story takes on a family's loss in a delicate and relatable way. Sarah and her parents offer young readers and their families an avenue to discuss their own possible difficulties with death. Ultimately, the work encourages communication and connection in desperate times. Further, the book includes a note from Dr. Elizabeth McCallum, a school psychologist, with information on how to support a child experiencing grief. VERDICT This is an important work on mental health, for any collection aimed at early childhood audiences.—Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia

School Library Journal

2020-01-12
A family begins healing following a devastating loss.

Sarah lovingly remembers big brother Ethan, who has died. Mommy and Daddy won't talk or reminisce about him; neither wants to hear his name. Small acts offer solace: saying Ethan's name aloud, writing his name, drawing his picture. When Sarah hangs the drawing on the refrigerator, Mommy and Daddy, distraught, leave the room. When Sarah angrily shouts that no one else seems to miss or remember Ethan, Mommy and Daddy must finally confront their pain. In doing so, they rehang the drawing in a more prominent location and gently explain that it's grief that's made them seem unfeeling. Poring over a family album allows everyone to openly share happy memories. The upbeat ending of this well-written, reassuring tale feels a tad rushed, and there's no sense of how much time has elapsed since Ethan's death. However, the author gets two important plot points just right. The circumstances surrounding Ethan's death aren't mentioned, suggesting the family (all depicted with pale skin and dark hair) is heartbroken simply because Ethan has died; as in real life, one cause is no less wrenching than another. Furthermore, the child has real agency; Sarah effects change in the family dynamic that leads to cathartic healing. The delicate illustrations are expressive and effective. Useful psychologist's tips in the backmatter guide adults in helping children discuss the death of a family member.

Gentle, comforting bibliotherapy. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews