Jean Reagan

Becky struggles to come to terms with the death of her brother in this sensitive picture-book exploration of a child's grief at the loss of a loved one. Both sibling and best friend, John had always been there for Becky: practicing soccer with her, helping her to care for their dog, Toby, and cheering her up when she was down. Then, suddenly, he was dead, and nothing would ever be the same again...

A moving story, one which accurately captures the conflicted feelings of a bereaved child - the show more withdrawal from favorite activities, the guilt at enjoying pleasant activities - Always My Brother offers a message of hope and encouragement. Jean Reagan, who makes her picture-book debut here, clearly knows her subject, an instinctive impression confirmed by the little biographical blurb on the dust-jacket, in which the reader learns of the death of the author's young son in 2005. An ideal selection, for anyone in need of a book to help young children cope with the death of a sibling. show less

A young boy narrates this hilarious how-to guide for babysitting grandpas, offering advice on everything from the all-important greeting - to be given after hiding, and then jumping out when the grandpa gives up looking - to the cleanup process necessary, after a visit together. The many activities that grandpas enjoy - eating plenty of snacks, playing games of make-believe, taking naps with the cat - are covered, as is the proper way of saying goodbye.

An entertaining tongue-in-cheek look at show more the loving relationship between a young boy and his grandfather, How to Babysit a Grandpa addresses an experience familiar to many children - that of being looked after by a babysitter, particularly a grandparent - but turns the usual dynamic on its head. Younger children will appreciate the "authority" given to the boy in this story, older kids will enjoy the humor, and adults will see the love that grandpa shows, by putting his grandson in charge. The colorful artwork by Lee Wildish accentuates the humor and sense of fun in the story. All in all, a sweet little book, one I would recommend to readers looking for humorous children's stories featuring the grandparent/grandchild relationship. show less

Reagan delicately and gently deals with the sudden death of a child-sibling. This book does not deal with any of the spiritual aspects of death, but rather deals with a family's life finding "normalcy" after such a huge loss; this book could be used by anyone of any faith with dealing with the daily here-and-now of a loved-one's death and how to continue daily life. I was surprised out how well this book communicated the feelings of the family--especially the surviving sister--without being show more heavy-handed, overly-dramatic, or preachy. This story really had the right balance.

I also liked that the story never tells you why or how the brother died. The cause or reason does not matter for the message of the book and this omission actually enhances the message of the book and makes the book more universal for anyone dealing with such a loss. No comparisons can be made about the cause of death--just about the grief.

This book will be of great service to anyone--especially a child--dealing with the death of a family member. show less

Perpetuates the stereotype that grandparents are elderly but childish; whereas the truth is that they're just people like everyone else. Also, we'd be better off if we respected our 'elders' as a source of wisdom, rather than as someone ready to spoil their grandchildren. I can see why some think it cute, but I'd only recommend it to families to whom it applies.