Charlotte Moundlic

A young boy grapples with the loss of his mother in this poignant picture-book exploration of the grieving process, originally published in France as La croûte. Reacting first with anger, when he learns that she has died in the night, and thereby abandoned him, and then with concern for his father, who has likewise been abandoned, the boy moves on to a desperate campaign to retain what he can of his mother. Closing all the windows, despite the stifling summer heat, in an effort to trap his show more mother's scent; picking a scab, in order to feel the pain, and recall his mother's comforting voice whenever he would hurt himself, the boy does everything he can to hold onto his memories. It takes a visit from his Grandma, and her wise words about where his mother is still alive - in his own heart - to begin the healing process.

This moving story about the loss of a mother reminded me of Roddy Doyle's recent picture-book exploration of the same theme, Her Mother's Face. Both books address a child's fear of forgetting a lost mother, although the Doyle story occurs some time after the death, while Charlotte Moundlic's story deals with the immediate aftermath. The text here is direct, sugar-coating nothing - I knew that she wasn't gone - she was dead and I would never see her again. They were going to put her in a box and then in the ground, where she would turn into dust - but it also contains quite a bit of sly humor, as when the boy wonders about taking care of sad grownups. The artwork, done by the talented Olivier Tallec, whose projects range from the minimalist cartoon-like illustrations in the Rita and Whatsit series, to the more lush and colorful (not to mention surreal) paintings in the Big Wolf and Little Wolf books, is simple and powerful. Using mostly black, white and red, he captures the stark reality of the boy's loss, and the pathos of his grief. Highly recommended, particularly to children who have recently lost a loved one, or two adults looking for children's stories with the theme of grief. show less

It's incredible how the author, Charlotte Moundlic, manages to capture a child's grief in such an authentic and absolute way. The Scar is the story of a little boy whose world has just come to an abrupt halt: his mother is dead. We watch him wrap his head around the very permanence of death itself and what that means for him and his family moving forward.

Moundlic unwillingness to succumb to the use of ambiguous language shows her profound respect for a child's voice. Watching this little show more boy wrap his head around the facts that she's not "gone", she's dead. Or that argument with his Grandmother over the windows been shut as not let his mother's smell out in fear that it will be "gone forever". That's such a real moment captured, it took my breathe quite literally. The illustrations by Oliver Tallearc are simple but highly effective. The line work and use of color speak volumes.

This is a simple and honest narrative of a bereaved child. I would suggest this book to anyone and everyone. show less

This story is told from this small child's very realistic point of view of someone who lost their mother. He experiences all stages of grief, including the loudest emotion, anger. At one point in the story, he tries to rationalize his thought process and says, "I'm scared that Grandma will think I am crazy." Wow. Author Charlotte Moundlic really captures every true emotion and thought effortlessly. This book is profoundly honest. As someone who just has experienced a loss, the quote, "She's show more there, in your heart, and she is not going anywhere," really spoke to me. I feel like I needed to read these words. show less

This is a very powerful little story of a young boy who wakes to learn that his mother has died the night before. It is written in first person and tells how a child process the many emotions experienced after a loss. It follows his thoughts and fears of slowly forgetting how his mother smelled, sounded, and looked like as most children experiencing grief do. Its sad and sweet. This is a good book to use with a child who has just lost a parent or loved one. I'm not sure if I would read to it show more to an entire class, unless I feel it might help them understand what a class mate may be going through. show less