I loved the poetry and the illustrations. The theme of interconnectedness and eternity set against cool (watercolor?) images is a great match . The illustrations are "artsy" in a way that I find wonderful, but I question if a child reader will relate to is the same way that I did.

Lovely book with beautiful artwork. Text may be a bit mature/abstract for younger readers but older readers will enjoy this. Very pretty paintings and good messages about life and where people or love go.

This book is beautifully illustrated and conveys the concept of rebirth through the disappearance and growth of various items. It might be a little too abstract for very young children, but they'll still enjoy the pictures.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Great concept. Death doesn't have to be the end is the concept i was getting from this.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations in this picture book are beautiful but the text seems way over the head of the target audience. It's not one I would buy to own or gift.

This is a lovely picture book that shows children (and adults) how things never really disappear but take on new forms. The narrator asks where various things have gone (a rock, an apple, a snowflake, a child who's grown up...) and then realizes they are still there but in new forms like sand and fog or as parents now with their own children. The illustrations are mostly lovely watercolors, but sometimes a bit amateur for me (like crayon or colored pencil drawings). All in all it's a lovely book that can help readers of all age find peace in loss and change. It could be a nice gift for grieving people of any age. As someone who has had to deal with far too many deaths, I appreciated the message and appreciate having it to share with my kids who have also had to say goodbye to too many.

This could also be a comforting book for secular parents who are looking for books about death that don't deal with the traditional heaven afterlife but focus on the more scientific and philosophical changes.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

I think this is a little esoteric for a children's picture book about death. To me, some of the verses seem rather vague, at least as they're supposed to refer to death and dying.

However, as a book about cycles and renewal, it works much better. Kids can understand how a snowflake melts and then ends up back in the clouds. Asking very young readers to somehow relate the water cycle to their dead grandpa is a bit much.

The illustrations are okay, done in watercolour, although they're a bit uneven. Some are really lovely, while others looked a bit rough and amateurish.

Overall, this is an okay book about natural cycles, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to ask children to understand that it's about death. The flowery talk of stardust, sea glass, and fog might appeal to adults, but I don't know how engaging it's going to be for children.

Death is not final seems to be the message. Loved ones may die, but really it's only a change and they are still with us. Lovely sentiment. I think it can be a comfort to anyone of any age.