2018 IBBY Honour ListAn imaginative and haunting story about dealing with grief It is a day when everything aches and nails are raining from the sky. Anna's mother has died. Anna and her father ar
2018 IBBY Honour List
An imaginative and haunting story about dealing with grief It is a day when everything aches and nails are raining from the sky. Anna's mother has died. Anna and her father are making their way to the funeral. But along the way they talk -- capturing memories, asking hard questions, picturing what heaven might be like. Anna's imagination leads both of them on a journey that, by the end, might just offer a certain sort of peace.
With captivating artwork and text that is at times whimsical, at times haunting, this profound book will make a perfect companion for readers who are wrestling with their own questions about life's mysteries.
Spirituality & Practice 10 Best Spiritual Children's Books of 2014
Congregational Libraries Today
"Exquisite and striking illustrations follow the journey of father and daughter together as they grieve, heal, and learn to live again."
Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)
"Hole once again tackles the hard issues in children's literature, this time grief, with his now-signature blend of beautiful, thoughtful and quirky images. . . . A hopeful ending offers a fitting closure to this intelligent picture book that will resonate with grieving children and adults alike. . . . Deeply affecting."
Publishers Weekly (STARRED review)
"A gorgeous, poignant book."
Booklist
"This gentle meditation on life and death from the award-winning Norwegian author and artist is graced by beautifully executed, slightly surreal illustrations."
Catholic Library World
"Not your typical children's picture book. . . . The illustrations and prose are as beautiful as they are unusual. The publishers recommend the book for children ages six through ten, but older children and adults will appreciate this book as well. Children younger than six may not understand the story but would be captivated by the images. A child's grief is not a pretty or comfortable topic, but this intelligent and striking book is well worth a read."
School Library Journal
"Mesmerizing and surreal mixed-media collages draw readers into this intriguing story of the many possibilities Heaven offers."
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Stian Hole is a Norwegian author and illustrator whose Garmann books have garnered considerable acclaim in North America. His Garmann's Summer won a BolognaRagazzi Award, a Batchelder Award Honor, and an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, and it made the IBBY Honour List for 2010.
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