Sadly, this is something that too many students have had to go through. This story would be a good one to recommend to a child who has gone through this to help them grieve and understand. Books about difficult topics are a good way for students to process what has happened. I wish I had this book when I started teaching.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book is a heartbreaking story about a little boy who lost his father to suicide. The mother tells him that his daddy loved him very much but that he was very sad and needed to leave him.

Why? by Melissa Allen Heath is a much needed book. Why? is a resource that professionals and families can use to help kids handle a suicidal death of a loved one. I thought it explained things well and had good helps in the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

Suicide is a difficult topic, particularly for children who's love ones have died by suicide. In Why? Melissa Allen Heath explores the life of a child who's parent has died by suicide and how he relates to his mother, his surviving parent. The primary audience I think would be most helped by this book are families who have had loved ones who have died by suicide. Heath does a good job at introducing the topic in an age appropriate manner and normalizing the emotions that children may be having during this team. The art is beautiful and the writing is overall well done. Overall, I would recommend this book to families dealing with being the survivors of a loved ones death by suicide and mental health professionals and teachers working with children through this experience.

This is a pragmatic and thoughtful book, showing how to discuss the tragedy of losing a parent to suicide. It reassures the child that it's okay to be sad, that the love the parent had for the child is completely separate from the intentional departure, and that sharing the fear/sadness/questions with the rest of the family will help everyone heal.

I especially appreciated the lack of mythical or religious "explanations" for what happened or fantastical ideas for whatever magical or heavenly place their parent might have ended up. There's no place for that. The approach of honestly and openly acknowledging the loss and the very appropriate feelings of sadness makes the most sense. Address the issue, don't try to cover it with your favorite color of glitter, just because you don't think a kid can handle it. It happened, it's tragic, so let's all deal with it. That's how we all heal, young and old.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It's not the subject as I have been in that deep, dark place many times, and I'm not uncomfortable speaking about death straightforward. I may be the number of times we were told Oliver's daddy died.. I'm sure there is a reason for it, but it seems like a lot.

This book is just so so dark, I was expecting it to end with Oliver's mother informing him thst depression is thought to be hereditary. There needs to be a satisfactory middle ground between daddy was taken by angels to make cookies, and daddy died died died by suicide.

No child should become as jaded as me.

Oliver and his mummy are grieving for the man – his dad and her husband – who killed himself. We're not told how – "Daddy made his brain stop working" – but we and Oliver are told just enough, and in a perfectly heartfelt yet calm and explanatory manner, to know just what happened, and more importantly that it wasn't to be rid of Oliver, or to punish him, but to escape the darkness of the father's depression.

Sometimes, when it's really important, we're told it twice – even with this low page count. We're told how the father was always interacting with Oliver, and we see them get to laugh in memory, as well as be sad and tearful.

And throughout we're told this by a very qualified author, and we're shown all this by a consummate artist, with a well-judged level of emotion and gloom. This is a book for A Purpose and not for entertainment, make no mistake, but it is to be read with and talked about with the very young, and it is to be read by the adult. Nobody should end up needing this book, but unfortunately that's not reality – our reality is too, too many spouses of the suicidal will need this to guide them to guide their Olivers. I can't see this failing in that endeavour, making this possibly one of the most important books I've seen this year.

This book will be an excellent resource when the need arises. When there is a crises within a family, providing a book that caregivers can read with their children to help explain things in a gentle way is the best way to help start those necessary conversations. Melissa Allen Heath tells the story of Oliver, who's dad died of suicide, and explains how or why that happens in a way that young children can begin to comprehend. Excellent caregiver tips and resources are provided in the back as well.

Why? approaches this sensitive topic in a way that will leave readers with the feeling of being wrapped up in a big hug. Beautifully done.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I appreciated that “Why” used specific language such as “he died” and “he is dead”. This specific phrase leaves no room for ambiguity so little folks can begin to process their grief. I thought the illustrations were beautiful and really aided in giving a physical manifestation to depression. I thought the readers note at the end was extremely helpful especially for parents. As a therapist I would use this book in my practice for little folks with this life event.

I received an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Very difficult book to read but needed. Children need to know the truth of depression and that they are not to blame. How do you go on after suicide?

Oliver's father died of suicide and being left with the aftermath, his mom helps him see that he is valued. That he was loved by his father. How they can remember the good times.

The book deals with the what - depression. The why- how people struggle and give up. The how- how do you process the pain and still love.

A special thank you to Magination Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

I received an electronic ARC from American Psychological Association through NetGalley.
Powerful and tender story of a mother and child coping with grief after their husband/dad committed suicide. Allen Heath offers an intimate look at how the two talk together and share memories and the love the three felt. The mom speaks lovingly about the dad and child's relationship and how much the dad loved their son. She does her best to explain how depression works and how it can lead to such a deep despair that the person does not feel they can escape it. I appreciate the emphasis that it is not the mom or son's fault this happened. The book finishes with sharing good memories and remembering loving times. It's a circle back to the beginning message with emphasis on the relationship deepening as the son grew.
So many emotions swirl as I read this book. It is one to have available when the unthinkable happens. Adults - Be sure to read the informative text included at the end of the book.

This books felt slightly too wordy at times, but I know it must be difficult to put such a topic into short sentences. I can't wait to add this to the collection and allow people who need this book to get their hands on it.

The death of a parent is devastating, but the death of a parent by suicide can be catastrophic.
This book tells of such a loss and addresses the fears and concerns of a child left behind to let them know that the absent one did, indeed, love but was stricken with such a black cloud on life (depression). The left behind is encouraged to remember the good times and memorialize the person they've lost. At the end there are guides for those who love the grieving child/children and suggestions the need for professional help where available.
The illustrations by Frances Ives are sensitive, imaginative, muted colors, and are so very well done.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and perfect for gifting to anyone who needs it, but especially to a school or teacher or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from American Psychological Association/Magination Press via NetGalley. Thank you.

I received this book for free. This does not impact the review in any shape or form.

Why? by Melissa Allen Heath, is a children’s story dedicated to exploring the questions a child might have when their parent commits suicide, and how to approach the topic gently and in a way that encourages the child mentally and emotionally. The story begins with a kid named Oliver, who had recently lost his father to suicide. Despite her grief, his mother explains to him the love that Oliver’s father had for him, and that even though he wasn’t there, Oliver still carries his father’s love with him.

Children, especially around Oliver’s age, tend to think that the world revolves around them. As such, things like a parent’s death, or a divorce, or even a simple fight may invoke guilt in the child. With this in mind, Heath makes a point that Oliver’s mother be honest with him. She didn’t sugarcoat it (saying things like “he’s in heaven right now”), didn’t brush him off, didn’t push him away. Instead, she sat him down, and gently told him what had happened. I also liked how Heath approached mental illness; I would even posit that, through this, Oliver has become more cognizant and empathetic of other people’s thoughts and emotions. Oliver can understand and help those who are in his position who are affected by mental health illnesses when he’s older. It’s a privilege that not many children have.

While the art style isn’t necessarily my taste, I do enjoy how Heath painted depression as this deep, dark shadow. But when his mother told Oliver about the love his father carried for him, all the happy times and the comfort that Oliver continues to hold close, the light grows brighter, stronger. Because of this, as well as it’s encouraging blueprint of what to say when children are forced to reckon with such a loss, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Why?" by Melissa Allen Heath is such a beautiful way to showcase to parents how to discuss the death of another parent (or family member) by suicide. Oliver doesn't understand why his daddy died, but Oliver's mommy explains in a way to make Oliver understand that it was not his fault and that his daddy loved him very much. This is an important book in examining loss and reminding us to remember the good times with happiness.

Plot gently describes the grief felt by a child after his father's suicide. Highlights the needs of the surviving parent and the important role of memories in healing. Emotions are expected and tears are necessary, with beautiful artwork supporting the tender portrayal of the subject. The back matter will be extremely helpful for parents counselors, guardians, and teachers in assisting a child and surviving parent. #Why #NetGalley
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher Magination Press, an imprint of American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has huge potential to help families struggling with the aftermath of a suicide, but it ultimately missed the mark for me. My family and I lost a family member to suicide when I was a kid, and I dealt with a fair amount of shame and regret after their death. I would have benefitted from my parents having similar discussions with me after the event, and I think that this book can help parents facilitate this discussion with their kids, as well as encourage kids to process their feelings in a healthy way with help from their parents. Relatedly, as a person who has lived with depression and anxiety for nearly all of my life, and a library worker that LOVES reading picture books, I was really excited to read this title. Overall, the author treated the subject matter with the appropriate level of care. However, it seemed like a mistake that author chose to include a line about how the treatment the main character's father received did not help alleviate his symptoms. 2/5 stars.

This book deals with a parent's death by suicide, and talks a little about their depression. I think this book touches on some important things, like reassuring a child that their parent loved them and it is not their fault. I think the back of the book that provides ideas for supporting a child through grief is also very important. There are a lot of kids that will benefit from this type of book.

Fantastic! Wonderful!

There needs to be more stories like this for children. Stories are a good way of finding the words to say in situations that children strive to understand but might be difficult for adults to say.

A wonderful SEL tool for educators and readers alike.

This picture book approaches a difficult subject with care and gentleness, using the fictional story to talk about parental suicide. The book talks about things that are specific to the fictional family, explains the concept of depression and suicide in kid-friendly language, and reassures kids that it's not their fault, and that their deceased parent loved them.

The story includes some repetitive pages that were probably supposed to show additional reassurance through repetition, but ended up just seeming redundant, especially since they were specific to the fictional character and don't apply to everyone. This could have been stronger, but even though this book isn't perfect, it is a helpful resource for families suffering from such a tremendous loss. There is also a lengthy, in-depth author's note at the end that shares more advice for caregivers.