Matt James (1)

Norma and her parents are going to Great Uncle Frank's funeral. Norma practices her sad face but honestly, the funeral is a chance to see her favorite cousin and she's happy about that. During the service, Norma sniffs her mother's purse and watches the dust motes dancing in the air. Ray stares at the hairy ear of the man sitting next to him. During the repast, the two children play and frolic outside. Afterward, taking in the whole day, Norma tells her mother that Uncle Frank would have show more liked his funeral. This is an affectionately honest portrayal of kids not yet attuned to the rituals of grief but fully in affirmation of the joys of life. show less

The Funeral by Matt James, published by Groundwood Books is a fabulous book about the questions about life and death when a loved one passes on.

Norma is really excited because she gets a day off school and gets to hang out with her favourite cousin Ray, the caveat is, they get to hang out at Great-Uncle Frank’s funeral. She practices her sad face, even though she really isn’t sad. Norma is really looking forward to spending the day with Ray and is not really sure what the whole funeral show more thing is about.

Matt James’ art in this book is so incredible! It’s colourful and expressive and big. The vibrant colours and bold lines make The Funeral a equally great as a read aloud or for a little cuddle. The art in the story conveys all Norma's feelings: the questioning, the impatience, the fun. I love how Matt James calls the day of the funeral, “the day for saying goodbye”. What a lovely way to explain a funeral. Norma’s constant squirming during the service was very familiar. I totally related to her feelings, remembering the times I was stuck in church every Sunday. Norma has questions about Uncle Frank throughout the story to help her make sense of his passing and understand death. In the end she has a lovely day out with her cousin and finally says, “I think Uncle Frank would have liked his funeral.” Matt James has found an incredibly kind and gentle way of explaining one of the very tough things we will have to one day explain to our children. The Funeral is a fantastic resource for parents when confronted with the topic of death. show less

I found this book interesting, I liked how the idea of books teaching children about these types of things. I enjoyed the illustrations, and I think the colors and flowers show the beauty in life and represent the children's innocence. Norma believes she's just getting off of school for one day to play with her cousin Ray when in actuality she's going to her great uncles funeral. I feel like this book would be good to have in your library for children going through or have gone through show more similar experiences can read so they know that they aren't alone. show less

This book is about a little girl losing her great uncle. She understands that it is a sad moment but she's still happy. She seems to be understanding for her age even though her mother is visibly upset. She ends up finding the joy in a sad moment instead of moping around teary eyed.