Member Reviews

(Personal note: My grandfather recently passed and for some reason I thought I could get through this book intact. So anyway, I'm crying.)

Daria's grandpa is in the hospital, but he's blessed to have a big "window" with a beautiful view of the beach. Every time she sees him, Daria diligently reminds him that when he gets better, that's where they'll go! We see her grandpa progressively get weaker, and eventually (through moving but wordless pages) we realize her grandpa has died. Strong little Daria, though, finds a touching way to remember him — even though he's no longer with her.

With touching illustrations and a list of helpful resources at the end, I think this is a great book for any child grieving the loss of a loved one. It doesn't water down the pain and sadness, but it lets a child know they're not alone and their grief, like their love for that person, is a tangible, valid thing.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review!)

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Thank you so much to Flyaway Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Daria and her grandpa are incredibly close, together at the hospital they look at the beach, seeing a beautiful sight, planning on being out there together when he is better.

This was beautiful and heartbreaking, you knew exactly what was coming with the grandpa getting sicker with each visit but my goodness it still hits you hard when you get to it.

This book showed the progression really nicely, it showed how love can keep you going no matter the hardship before you. Daria never stopped being at her grandpa’s side and after he was gone she could still feel him there with her, which was so beautiful.

I liked that this was still a happy book even with the sadness within it, it’s a good book for sharing children about death, loss about that though someone is gone they never leave your heart nor will you have to forget the memories you made with them.

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Grandpa's Window is a book about a special bond between Daria and her grandpa. There are colorful illustrations and heartfelt sentences encapsulating Daria's last days with her grandpa and how she is navigating after he passes away. I recommend this book for any children experiencing grief after the loss of a family member.

I received a DRC from Flyaway Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Such a sweet story of a little girl visiting her grandpa in the hospital. This book has some good resources for children experiencing loss included too.

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This book is about a child who loved her Grandfather a lot. Her grandfather was ill and couldn't move much. She watched with him the ocean and sandcastle which they wanted to build again with each other but alas! they couldn't. They spent time with each other in that ward room in hospital deciding what they will do after he get fit and fine. But gradually, his condition worsen and he left this world. Her grief of the situation made her went through a tough time.
Tough for me too when I was reading as this reminded me of my Grandfather who I too loved so much and vice-versa. Grandparents are truly a blessing to a child and elders to a family. One must always cherish moments with them and make them feel warm as they are reason we're here with goodness.
Author described emotions finely and her message to aprents at last was so precise and true to the fact. I recommend parents to read it to their young once if they also went through any such situation.
Illustrations were also very good by Vasanti Unka.

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I AM WEEPING. OH MY GOD. What an absolutely BEAUTIFUL book. I’m always looking for books about grief and this one was just incredible. It encapsulates the feelings of grief and loss in such an incredible and digestible way. And again, I AM WEEPING.

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Daria goes to visit her grandpa in the hospital, and his view is the best of all: an ocean view.
Daria tells her grandpa of all the things they will do together once he’s feeling better.

This story helps little ones with coping skills when they lose someone they love and someone they are close with.
Clear and concise language is used, which is how it should be when telling a child that someone has passed away.
Helping children through their grieving process also helps process their emotions.

I loved the illustrations and it also brought tears to my eyes as I thought of the loss of my great-grandma.

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Grandpa’s Window is a touching story about the reality of children having to process and accept the pain of grief and loss. The book provides a beautiful depiction of the loss of a loved one and learning to say goodbye. Providing children with a powerful tool like this to process the difficult emotions that go with grief and loss is invaluable. The metaphor of the beach added to the connection that is felt between Daria and her grandpa. Grandpa’s Window is an all-around fantastic book that will be appreciated by many!

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Of course, after reading my grandchildren a book about a grandmother, I had to read one about a grandfather. Unfortunately, this is a bittersweet, emotional story. Darla's grandpa is in the hospital. He is aging and ill. When she goes to visit, they look out the window and remember times they spent together. They talk about what they will do when he gets better. Gradually, he gets weaker and weaker, until he can't get out of bed or even talk to Darla. Finally, he can't do anything but squeeze her hand the last time she visits. The ending surprised me a bit, but the grief and the emotions were real. I'm glad I read this story myself before I read it to the grandkids as I was crying my eyes out at the end. Grief is real, my grandkids have experienced losing a grandfather, but they were young and remember more of what we told them. Their nonno is ill right now, so this was a difficult story. The oldest got quite upset, thinking he was going to die, and although it will happen eventually, it is not imminent. In hindsight, I think this would have been a better book to read after he passed away to remind them of all the wonderful things they did together. The illustrations are wonderful and show the happy times and progression of grandpa's illness with honesty and emotion. I do recommend this book to families dealing with grief.

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Grandpa's Window is a picture book that gives children a poignant introduction to the subjects of death and grief. It starts out with a little girl drawing pictures with her grandpa in the hospital. The little girl talks about what she and her Grandpa see and do at the beach outside his window. (Later, it is revealed that these experiences were actually imagined from drawings they did together.) Each page, we see the grandpa deteriorate further as the text and illustrations tell us that he looks more tired, is hooked up to machines, and eventually cannot talk or move. I really appreciated how the book showed what death in a hospital can look like (without being graphic, of course). This will prepare children for seeing their own loved ones in the hospital.

The illustrations themselves are beautiful and in full color. The first half of the book, when the girl is spending time drawing with her Grandpa, are full of bright colors and portray the joy and love she feels with him. The latter half of the book after Grandpa has died shows a darker color palette to convey the family's grief.

The end of the book includes an author's note from Laura Gehl, who is noted as being a doctor with a Masters in Child Psychology. Her note talks about how best to discuss the topic of death with children.

As a children's librarian, I believe that Grandpa's Window is an effective introduction to the subjects of death and grief. It would be appropriate for children from ages 4-8. I think it would also be good to supplement this with books that discuss more about different ways people may grieve, and/or coping strategies.

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This book is very specifically intended for children to understand and work through the loss of a grandparent. While the book is very emotional, I wonder if it is too specific for a child to connect with. A parent might be able to show the child different connections with their lost grandparent, such as if they made other kinds of memories together. But it sort of made me wonder if a child would be sad if they didn't have any drawings that they did with their own grandparent.

I would also love to see a second version that is for Grandma's.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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A completely impactful, yet brilliantly useful, look at a child discovering the fact of death. She visits the care home or hospital room her granddad lives in, which luckily enough looks out on to a wonderful sandy shoreline, until one day there is no need to visit ever again. This doesn't thrust anything down our throats, whether it be the 'let it all out' approach, or the 'just flipping move on as the deceased would have wanted' demand, but does show the girl connecting to her memories of her granddad in wonderful ways. I did guess the twist, from the front cover art, but it still can be a jaw-dropping beat when the proof of it all comes to you. Oh to have such a caring family to be in, and oh to have books like this for when life pulls the rug from under you. It not only serves to convey its message, it does so prettily, and with more than enough about it that re-reading this would very seldom feel a chore.

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Beautiful and warm book, teaches about acceptance of separation. It is difficult for children and parents to start a conversation about the death of a loved one, this book will invite children and parents to communicate about separation. The illustrations are very beautiful with warm colors.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for accepting me to read and review this book

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Grandpa is in a car center and Daria visits him often. The reader experiences Daria’s loss of her grandfather as he gets worse and eventually passes away. This book does an excellent job of pointing out how to keep love alive and still feel and love people after they are gone. It’s a sad book, but one that focuses the topic and makes it easier to understand and give children a way to cope with loss.

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A absolutely beautiful story about the magical love between a grandpa and his granddaughter. It pulled on my heartstrings and brought tears to my eyes.
This is a wonderful book to read with children as they experience having a sick grandparent. It will sweetly prepare them for what is to come while gently reminding them that even when their grandparent cannot be with them anymore they will still carry with them the magical memories that they have made together.
The illustrations compliment the story perfectly and convey the love that this family has for Grandpa.
I am grateful to Flyaway Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this bittersweet yet lovely book in exchange for my honest review.

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It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on grief, the death of a loved one, & others.

Daria’s grandpa is in hospice care. Daria doesn’t understand that a hospice is a different place than a hospital. Every day that she goes to visit him, she looks out at all of the pictures she’s made for him & tells him of all of the things they will do together when he gets better. Unfortunately, Daria’s grandpa dies & she is faced with the loss of someone she loves; a new experience for her & one that is difficult to grasp.

I appreciated the value that this story sought to bring & I understand that, perhaps, it can be used as a reference for very young children. This book might be used as a conversation starter rather than as a tool to introduce death. This is a very short book that doesn’t necessarily explore death so much as it highlights that people we love can pass away.

The illustrations by Udayana Lugo gave this story the depth that it needed. The colour schemes & the complimentary aspects added on to the characters, their outfits, environments, & their world, allowed for the minimal writing to lean on the world in which Daria lives.

Although I can appreciate that this book may be used to highlight that people die; that death can bring many different emotions at different times & for different people; I did not feel as though that was brought to the forefront. Rather, the approach of this story felt like it stated a truth & relied on the reader to delve into the topic.

I am not a parent or guardian to someone who is very young or someone who has not been exposed to death yet. I would have liked to have seen a bit more conversation take place between the parents & Daria. It’s not negative to name death as she is, death is just as much a part of life as living. It’s important to not make the word taboo or to waltz around the facts; they become less ominous when included as the norm of our existence.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flyaway Books, & Laura Gehl for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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This book is a rarity. It shows a granddaughter visiting her grandpa in the hospital and shows his decline in health. I don't think I've ever seen a drawing of someone with an oxygen mask in a picture book. I also don't think I've seen a picture of a coffin and funeral in a picture book before. I think both of these things are important parts of the reality of death and it is good to have a book that shows them if you want to talk to your child about it. I do like that there is a back matter page that tells how to talk to a child about death (including links to some grief organizations) and I think that is the most helpful part.

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This is a real nice book for little kids....it explores grief & coping with death. It's pretty, soft colored illustrations are real relatable for little kids. I think it might be a good intro for a good opportunity for a conversation starter with littles. It's a real nice book, I'd recommend it to all.
I received an e copy of this book from publisher Flyaway Books via NetGalley in return for reading it & posting my own fair/honest review.

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Grandpa’s Window by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Vasanti Unka came out on March 14, 2023. Daria visits Grandpa in the hospital and loves that his window looks out on the beach. She plans with him about what they will do together when he is well. Even the youngest readers will sense that Grandpa is losing strength as time goes by. They will mourn with Daria when he dies and find comfort with her when she finds a way to honor his memory.

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Not many books for children brought up the subject of a family member's passing. It was not an easy task to tell a child that someone in the family pass, but nowadays this become a necessity, since we experience more unexpected deaths. This book also offers how to cope with the grieve, and a glimpse of what a child might need in these times. A great idea to have such a book, or offer one for a small soul that just lost a loved one.

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