A touching and healing story with beautiful illustrations about grief and how Alma, a young girl who adored her grandmother, deals with her death with the support of her loving family. Highly recommended!

A beautiful story about loss and learning how to move forward while still honouring your late loved ones.

An incredible, diverse story on loss, grief, & the hope for tomorrow. A house full of family & Abuela is Alma's biggest fan! But one day, the house of laughter grows quiet as Abuela becomes very sick & dies. Alma knows she lived a long, happy life but she's sad & struggles to play in her next basketball game. They win, but she doesn't feel like celebrating. This very realistic description of grief is concise & easy to understand for even the youngest of readers. The discussion with her and her Papa is beautiful and shows children that adults feel grief too. It's now Alma's birthday & she is missing her Abuela even more! She ends up finding a letter from her Abuela that she left before her death. The peace & closure she now feels is beautiful. The Reader's Note at the end of the story is a perfect addition for those who are experiencing grief & loss with a child. A beautiful must-read!

Abuela’s Letter is a poignant and heartwarming children’s book that delicately navigates the theme of loss and love.
Through the eyes of a young girl who adores her Abuela and her vibrant family, we witness the sadness that naturally accompanies her Abuela’s passing.
However, the story takes a beautiful turn as the girl receives an unexpected touching letter from her Abuela on her birthday, reminding her of the enduring power of love beyond life.

This book, although short and sweet, is a tender exploration of loss and love. Extremely relatable.
I highly recommend it for families seeking a gentle introduction to discussing the loss of a loved one with children.

Thankyou to author Debbie Zapata, Magination Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Charlene 📚🌸🤗 @lastnownext

Abuela's Letter follows a young girl as she faces the death of her abuela. As the title indicates, this book uses some Spanish words throughout, but the main text of the story is told in English. I enjoyed the text-to-image ratio, the repetition of certain phrases, and the imagery style. I like how the book approached the conversation of grief and that it wasn't too heavy. The book's back matter includes a reader's note with information and activities on how to support your child when dealing with grief as well as a template for a grief letter. The back matter is in English and Spanish.

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.

With a book title having a word such as 'Abuela' included, a reader can well expect Spanish cultural elements. This is the case in this children's story. Of course, it is still very readable for others of a more English-speaking and cultural background - very much so. I believe that these inferences do NOT distract from the main serious focus of helping and supporting a child through the journey of grief of the loss of a loved one. There are great and colorful accompanying illustrations which further enhance the storyline in meaningful depictions.

Alma's wise parents and extended family helped her through the loss of her Abuela even as they too, grieved. She even had a wonderful surprise on her birthday from the one who really cared.

I believe this would be an excellent choice and help to any child going through such grief. Indeed the endearing story brought tears to my eyes.

At story's end there is, in my opinion, a very helpful Reader's Note in both Spanish and English regarding supporting a child going through the trauma of the grief of the loss of a loved one. This offering from the American Psychological Association in partnership with author Debbie Zapata would be well worthwhile looking into. At least I think so.

A 5-Star rating from me.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

March 2024

Disclaimer: 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.

Abuela's Letter
by Debbie Zapata
Death is part of all lives. Unfortunately students have to face it. This book is a good resource showing that our loved ones are still our support system even after death. The book shows that although we are sad we can remember our loved ones and find strength. This is a good resource for schools to help children through this difficult time. The book has ideas, and would make a good contextual resource for schools to help students.

I absolutely love this story! The loss of a family member is hard for us all to handle, but this sweet story shows ways for children to manage their feelings. Beautifully illustrations compliment the well-written text. Just love it.

This is a beautiful and touching book about grief and celebrating family members. The illustrations are detailed and colourful, and beautifully reflect the story being told. I loved how Spanish words and culture was incorporated into the story, it really enhanced the themes of family. The message about grief and keeping a lost loved one in your heart really hit home. The end matter with the grief letter was a great addition. I hope this book finds its way into many little hands.

Hope. This book shows with love, comes loss. But in love, we carry someone's love with us everywhere we go. Someone's love and memory will stay alive within us, and we can share their love in many different ways.

Thank you NetGalley for a review copy.

This is beautiful book with a great message for young children. Death and grief are hard for anyone to deal with, but especially children. This book is such a great way to show children that their deceased family member will always be there in spirit. I got a little emotional thinking about how I used to write letters with my grandma. It brought back great memories. I liked the inclusion of the grief letter at the end of the book.