A wordless book of illustrations. Without the description, one might not understand the gist of the story. With the description, the monster beckoning and overpowering the man becomes clear. The gift from the man to the little girl with hearts flowing out of the box represents a father’s love. That said, we weren’t sure what the illustration of the empty knight suit at the end represented - unless it symbolized the death of the father. Three stars.

I would have loved to do this book justice but my Kindle copy had no words just illustrations, it’s sad when this happens. What I gather though is that this little girl’s dad went through a dramatic change from her fun-loving dad to a know show one. He seemed to be in the grips of an evil monster. Anyway, that’s all from watching the pictures, sorry for the two-star I had no reading material.

As a school librarian, I have read many books written for children dealing with parental addiction. Most have been written for older children and teens. This book’s focus on younger children intrigued me a lot. I have been looking for a book with easy to understand words and symbols that will promote conversation between the child reading it and the adult (most likely our school counselor) listening. I love the symbolism in the book as it is something most children can relate to.
(Spoiler)
Grace’s dad has a big problem. He has an enemy he is trying to fight. Grace does not understand or see this enemy. She wants to be with her dad and struggles to understand why she cannot be with him. However, she understands that he is trying to fight his monsters. At the end of the story, Grace’s dad does not win his battle. That does not change Grace’s views on her hero dad. He will always be her hero.
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy. The opinions expressed in this review are all mine. #netgalley #thestoryofgrace

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read

Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com

I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The story of Grace is a story about a little girl called Grace who is feeling the ever present sadness and absence of a father who may be present in person but not emotionally present or reachable for Grace.
This book really made my heart ache for this poor little girl who craved her fathers love and happiness.
This book has been written to be interpreted in different ways and the way I interpreted it was that Graces father suffered from depression and ended his life and how Grace understood this and how she found some happiness at the end of a long time of sadness, worry and watching her father slip away further and further.
I think the author did a great job creating this book as this cannot have been an easy book to put together or write for children.

This is a book with a purpose... a story that you wish you didn't even have to write because you want every child to live a wonderful, love-filled life with a happy ending. Unfortunately for many children that is not reality.

Grace narrates her story about her dad whom she loves dearly. But unfortunately her dad is in a battle with addiction. The author doesn't name the specific type leaving that aspect open ended to the reader. Like a valiant knight he tries over and over to conquer this monster but alas he ultimately is slain.

Grace has to process the fact that her dad is never coming home again to play and interact with her. She deems him her hero and forever will have him in her heart.

The lovely illustrations animate the addiction giving it a vicious, overpowering personality and shows the impact it makes on Grace's dad. The story is very touching and heartwarming and much needed for little ones who need a deeper understanding of being separated from a parent whether by addiction, mental health disorders, incarceration or even death. The author has included questions that may be used as a starting point for initiation of such discussions. Highly recommended.

This book was excellent. The writing and the topic were perfect. As a caseworker working with children of substances abuse this book really caught my eye.
Just like Grace thinks of the monsters that attack her dad to drink many children think that also about their parents and why they drink, do drugs. I can’t express how open eyed this story of Grace was to many.

I really understand why the author felt there as a need for a book such as this one in the market.

I can see it being a positive book for children who are affected in a similar way following the loss of a parent through addiction but I also think it would work to talk about mental illness too.

It shows them that it is not their fault, their parent did all they could but in the end the battle was too tough to fight in the end, the images used at the end really pull on the heart-strings.

It is 3 stars from me for this one.

This is the wordless story of a little kid whose father struggles with addiction. The addiction is portrayed as a scary monster who takes over her father, but the love he has for her is evident as well.

Books can be such great supports and learning tools for kids going through scary things. There are books for grief, loneliness, anxiety, and other important themes. Addiction is definitely something kids need support for, and reading a book like this could make them feel less alone.

Since it's wordless, kids can assign their own values and experiences to what is happening in the book. It could even work for mental illness for a parent. But there is a risk to that - that kids don't get extra support after being confronted with something like this that is scary. I would recommend it be read together with someone who can provide trauma-informed support, otherwise it could make a situation more difficult.

3 out of 5 dumplings

The Story of Grace is an excellent children’s book about a girl with an absent father. I thought her father was battling depression. After reading the note at the end Donna Masotti wanted it not to be obvious why the father was absent, so all children with absent parents could relate. Masotti took a serious issue and turned it into a monster. This book is sad but so good.

I highly recommend this book for children.

Thank you Canoe Tree Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really sad book. But I like how it gives the opportunity to discuss hard things for children. I loved the playful style of the artwork.

I really thought this book would have pictures. If I hadn't read the blurb, I would have had no idea what this book was about. The illustrations are really detailed, but I was confused up until the end of this very short book.

I want to start with background about me, I am a teacher and I am an aunt. I have a young niece whose father (my brother) is struggling with addiction. This is a tough topic to take on and I give the author a ton of credit for attempting to tackle this issue in a child friendly way with a fantastically illustrated book.

The story doesn’t mention drugs or alcohol by name. This might be important for very young children who don’t really understand what is happening with their parent or the child who is living with a parent who is addicted but has difficulty opening up about it. This story might work best for a child who has lost a parent to addiction, especially a parent who tried to get clean at some point but ultimately lost the battle. That gives this book a bit of a narrow audience, however.

I have a few concerns with the book and using it to prompt a discussion with a child. I feel like it could frighten a child whose parent is actively struggling with addiction. Too often the path of addiction does end in death but would sharing this book create additional fear for a child? I also wonder about the child of a parent who is not actively attempting to get clean. In my brother’s case, he has not attempted to make any real attempts to get off drugs despite a court order to do so. How does one address that situation? What about the parent that neglects or abuses the child due to addiction?

Was the dad a hero in this story? I really don’t know the answer.

This book is so sad....so freaking sad. But it is important to address such issues the way children can understand them and not blame themselves when their parents or for that matter any adult who are close to them are sad and away from them.

The parent in this story deals with mental health problems (I guess it's depression) and how the child sees it.

The ending is really sad but the book makes it a hopeful ending.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book, when presented correctly, may help children understand addiction. This is a complicated issue that is hard to address with children. This book may help a child in understanding that they can love a parent that is struggling and that it isn’t their fault.

The story of Grace is heartbreaking. There are so many kids suffering the same way. This is a great book with a monster as a metaphor for addiction. It is geared towards younger children to help them cope with the situation of addiction in their lives.

This was a wonderful book that dealt with a hard subject. The story is about a little girl and her father who is dealing with addiction. It is told from the child's perspective and it was very touching and heartwarming. I thought that the way in which the author deals with the subject of a parent suffering from addiction was really well handled. I think this is a great book for kids and honestly would recommend it for everyone. It was a wonderful book.

This book tried to fill a very big need; so many children suffer because their parents struggle with addiction and those children deserve thoughtful books that discuss these heavy issues on their level. I do not feel this is an example. The visual representation of "Boris" was great so as to visually represent addiction, but besides that, I feel the book was centrally lacking.

For one, children of addict parents often feel very complicated and divergent emotions, which this book fails to address. Grace only idealizes her father, imagining him as a knight who lost his battle. This image can be reassuring to some children but harmful to others who are likely struggling with the more negative emotions that are just as valid. For two, there is little in this book to help children of addicts grow or cope. Instead, it's just, once again, idealization. Children, especially those who experience trauma such as addicted parents, are generally speaking, more mature and complex than this book gives them credit for.

The description mentions this book being about redemption, though maybe not in a traditional way. After reading it twice, I still do not see it. I also wonder what the author's credentials are in writing this book. Has she down any research?

I wanted to love this book. I wanted it fit the needs of so many of this students in my district. Unfortunately, it is not one I would comfortably purchase.

It was a heartbreaking story for me. I felt sad for Grace and felt thankful for what I have. Kids like Grace does not deserve to experience things like that and I can't help but feel sorry for her. It is something that younger kids can read and some can relate but it tackles a different reality that can touch a heart.

This is a very unique book. Not many children's stories, picture books in particular, deal with the impacts of parental addiction. Beautifully iliustrated, it personifies addiction in the form of "Boris" giving children a concrete idea of a generally abstract concept. While it may not be your traditional happy ending, it gives closure and peace of mind to the reader.