Grandad Bill's Song

Yolen is definitely hit or miss. Imo she hits it past the fence with this. So wonderful that many members of the family *and a family friend* are willing to talk about the deceased with the child. Well-illustrated in that the memories are in full-color. Wise to acknowledge all the different ways ppl grieve. Both Yolen and the artist Mathis get kudos for this one.

Unlike many books that are supposedly good for bibliotherapy, I believe that this one could actually be used at the time it's most relevant... it could be helpful, instead of like many that would just compound the problem.

This is a marvelous book for a child who has experienced death at such a young age. I believe this could potentially help the child come out to their own thoughts about what is happening and why.

This is exactly what this little boy, in the book, is experiencing. His grandfather, Bill, just died and now he's going to each of his family members asking "What did you do on the day Grandad died?"
Each family member has a different perspective on death and explains what they did on that day. Everyone deals with death differently and this is what the little boy learned at the end. The little boy explains that he was mad at someone but he did not know who. He knew he should be sad, but his mad feelings were towards death since death took his show more Granddad Bill away.

This book has an underlying theme of dealing with death and being open about it. Everyone deals with death differently and that's okay this is what the boy learns while he also learns more facts about his grandad who passed away.

The book is written in a child's perspective therefore if a child reads it they can feel more connected with this book if they have recently lost someone. It also has a very nice flow with a rhyme pattern within it. show less

"What did you do on the day Grandad died?"

"I sat in my porch rocker, child, and I cried.
I looked at the ocean all covered with foam
And thought of my handsome young sailor gone home."

A young boy has lost his grandad Bill, and asks members of his family circle what they did when they learned of his death. The answers are given in simple but moving rhyme and are beautifully illustrated. This is a quietly tender book dealing with the loss we feel when a loved one dies, and would be a wonderful book to give to a grieving child.

A story about loss and how a family deals with it in their own way, written from a child's perspective. The child asks everyone how they felt, but it isn't until the end that someone cares enough to ask the boy how he feels, and explores those feelings deeper.

A great book to teach about loss, or to hold that conversation with a young child. A sensitive subject, and the book strikes a nerve while reading, so I recommend reading it a little at a time and discussing each response as you go.

This is a story about a kid who has lost his grandpa. He goes around asking his family members what they did on the day that his grandpa passed away. He is hurt that his grandpa passed away and does not know how to express his emotions. At the end of the book we find out that he was mad that his grandpa passed away and he should have been sad. He was trying to blame it on somebody and wanted to hate somebody. This is an excellent book for children who have experienced death at a young age. This book helps those who cannot figure out their thoughts on why somebody has passed away.

This book was a beautifully written book and one that has touched my life and that of my children, and the rest of my family. The author focuses on the different people that this man had related to and their memory of him when he was gone. I lost my grandfather 12 years ago and this book gave me the snapshot of him in all of the different eyes of people in my family. I also shared this book with a young girl who had lost her father to cancer and I believe it prompted her to make snapshots of her father and that his memory would live with her forever. A wonderful book to cherish forever.

Grandad Bill's Song is a story about a young boy asking how everyone felt when his Grandad Bill died. John goes around asking his mother, father, grandmother, great aunt, and family friend. The answers given shows that his Grandad is missed and will never be forgotten. John's dad asked HIM how he felt when his grandad died and he says he felt mad and he wanted to hide. It is then explained to him that his grandfather lives forever in his heart. This book can definitely help kids understand the feeling of loss and grief.