Don't mind me- just over here sobbing about a picture book. First off, really lovely, different illustrations- like inky watercolors. Beautiful. Secondly, there's a young boy with a recently deceased mom, and there are no metaphors or euphemisms used by the gorilla to explain it. Which is wonderful. "A person's body stops working," he says. We all die, he concedes. But not in a depressing way, if that's possible. I don't think this is one I would pull out to read for your average kiddo, but I think it might be a good one for any child who has lost a parent and is going through it.

Beautiful and meaningful and important

A book about grief for kids and adults too.

Wow, I never thought a children's picture book could have such an impact. A short, powerful story about grief, loss, and finding peace in it that, if you're a human, will bring you to tears by the time you finish it.

Wow, this book floored me. The art is beautiful and the narration is very well-done.

Oh wow. I need to recommend this book to my counselor friends. This is the perfect book for handling grief! It doesn't diminish the grief. It doesn't white wash feelings or make everything rosy. It also, in one very telling illustration, shows that while trying to be strong for the child, the other parent is also going through grief themselves.

This book encourages children to find ways to keep memories alive. I think that aids with that fifth stage of grief--acceptance.

Grief, loss of mother

About grief. Very beautiful.

It's such a difficult topic to deal with, but Jackie Azúa Kramer has given us a gift that will help our readers dealing with death and grief. On the day of his mother's funeral, a gorilla comes to ease the boy's pain and answer the questions he has, unable to talk with his father. The gorilla patiently answers the boy in a straight forward compassionate manner and stays at his side until he can speak to his father. Once the boy and the father share their grief and memories, the gorilla no longer needed, quietly slips away. The language of the answers is soft-spoken and sensitive- "Where did mom go? No one knows for sure." I am becoming a big fan of Cindy Derby's talents as I discover more and more of her work (Outside In and Too Many Birds), and this book is no exception. The muted tones and the use of watercolours create the grief-stricken and then hopeful mood. A beautiful powerful book that needs to be readily available in classrooms and libraries.