The Old Man Eating Alone

by Howard Pearlstein, Hilde Groven (Illustrator)

Overview

As long as we have our memories, we will always be together...

Every morning Emily sees an old man eating alone in a café. This makes her sad, and one day she decides to talk with him. The man takes Emily on a journey through his fondest memories. She soon realizes that the bond he had with the love of his life is so strong that he will never be lonely, even if he is alone. 

An honest and heartwarming story about a beautiful friendship, the place precious memories will always have in our hearts and love after death. For children ages 5 years and up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605377681
Publisher:	Clavis
Publication date:	03/14/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.84(w) x 10.20(h) x (d)
Lexile:	530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Howard Pearlstein is a picture book author and an advertising creative director who has worked with some of the world’s most popular brands. A California native, Howard now lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Debi. Howard has three daughters, Amanda, Jacquie, and Emily, who have grown up and live across the country. He also has a dog named Maeby, who still lives at home. 

Hilde Groven earned her Master of Fine Arts in 2004. Since then, she has worked as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator for European magazines and literary publishers. Additionally, she makes jewelry, accessories, and greeting cards. Hilde’s favorite topics are nature, fantasy, and emotion. She also teaches drawing courses in “Atelier Hilde” in Hasselt, Belgium—a cozy drawing studio where every person with drawing dreams can discover their talents.

Editorial Reviews

coming soon

From the Publisher

2022-12-24
A child befriends an old man.

Young Emily feels sorry for Mr. Wilson, whom she sees eating alone at a cafe every morning. She strikes up a friendship with him (grown-ups may want to caution children against approaching strangers) and learns about his late wife, whose presence he still feels. Mr. Wilson tells her that while he might be physically alone, he’s never lonely. However, the narrative is unlikely to interest children. The book is rooted in Mr. Wilson’s remembrances about his wife; little is learned about Emily’s perspective. Though the book attempts to convey the idea that solitude and loneliness aren’t necessarily the same things, it ends up making the point that people still need a partner to complete them; Emily stops pitying Mr. Wilson only when she discovers he was once married. The story somewhat abruptly becomes a tale of loss; days go by without Emily seeing Mr. Wilson at the cafe, and she eventually learns of his death. A letter penned by Mr. Wilson before he died promises Emily “I’ll always be with you.” Both protagonists have doll-like faces, with enlarged foreheads and oblong head shapes. Apart from Mr. Wilson’s wife, seen in flashbacks, no other human faces are depicted (when the cafe owner hands Emily the note, only their arm is seen), which feels distancing. Characters are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Words of wisdom on love and loneliness that will go above the heads of their intended audience. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews