Cover Image: THE LOSS OF A GRANDPARENT TO COVID-19, Gramps.

THE LOSS OF A GRANDPARENT TO COVID-19, Gramps.

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Member Reviews

I thought this was a beautiful story however it would not have been suitable for my 6 year old due to referring to willy. I just didnt think it was appropriate but other than that it was well told and relateable for a child on their loss

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Working in the third sector for palliative care I was extremely intrigued to read this book. It is a conversation between a boy and his mother after losing the boy's grandfather and the boy asks questions such as did his grandfather know he loved him? and they discuss what they most miss about him.

What i did find bizarre is that boy asks his mum if he will be a dad like daddy? The mum says yes.. which I found strange as in such a diverse world why not say maybe? Or would you like to be? I just picture that if it was a little girl, wouldn't we wan't her to know that her sole purpose isn't just to be a mother? (Maybe I have just read too much around sexism lately).

The other weird thing is the mother says the boy will one day have 'black hairs on his willy'. In a book about grief it just seemed out of place. it felt we were trying to tackle two things here rather than just grief yet it didn't explain anything more about puberty.

Overall, some elements of a comforting conversation but I am not sure I would give it to my child to help them understand loss.

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This is a beautiful, sad but wonderful book. I think that it would be best to read it aloud or together with a child.  This title honestly and movingly conveys what it means to lose a cherished family member.  The story is about the loss of a young boy's grandfather.  It is clear that this grandfather will be deeply missed and the boy is given plenty of opportunity to reminisce and hear stories about his family.  In addition, the book explains why a child could not visit a relative with Covid and allows for different beliefs about what happens when someone dies.  The boy is assured that his grandfather will be honored and remembered. The boy, himself,  is reassured that he will live for many years.


Of course it is deeply sad to need a book like this.  I think though that it will be a welcome resource for families who don't know what to say or how to explain death to young children.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.  Highly recommenced!

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A very heartwarming and interesting dialogue between a mother and son over a grandparent that just died. The only strange thing was the talk about pubic hair...it was a little laughable and not really necessary or informative for the story.

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It made me smile, it made me weep, what a short but powerful punch it packs! This is the perfect book to help explain loss of a loved one and to help understand grief.

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Be prepared to weep copiously. A mother and her small son grieve for the beloved grandpa lost to Covid-19, especially [for the child] because of the quarantine preventing the family's presence. As they both recall verbally their favorite memories of Gramps, a little peace begins to settle in.

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How warm is that book! How emotional is that book! I loved it very much.
It will make you cry, however, it will make you laugh too.
It is short story in the form of a dialogue between a son, who had lost his gramp for COVID-19, and his parents, mostly his mother, trying to explain to him the meaning of death and how he is not going to see his gramp anymore.
You can read it to your children these days especially who had lost their beloved ones.

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I so appreciate this resource in a time when I have been looking for exactly this—a book to help children understand and cope with the loss of a grandparent due to covid19, I am a therapist in New York, at the epicenter of this outbreak. This is unfortunately very needed right now. This book is simply written and helps children understand, answering some of the questions they might be afraid to ask through the conversation form of the book. Thank you for writing/publishing this in such a timely manner. Truly. Thank you.

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