Stones for Grandpa

February 18, 2013
Londner (Ruby’s Whistle) and Avilés (The Shabbat Princess) present a small boy as he observes two of the distinctly Jewish rituals of mourning: the unveiling of his beloved grandfather’s tombstone (which traditionally occurs one year after a death) and the placing of stones on the tombstone by visitors to the grave (“It’s a way of showing that we have been here to remember,” explains the boy’s father). The event prompts melancholy reflection on Jewish holidays that have passed without Grandpa (“It was the first Hanukkah without Grandpa spinning his lucky dreidel”), but the rituals also help the boy understand that “memories made of someone you love never get lost.” Londner handles a difficult topic with great sensitivity and admirable restraint, while Avilés’s verdant scenes at the cemetery are beautifully realized; she reassures children that this sad and even scary setting can be a place of solace and fond celebration. Ages 5–9.

February 15, 2013
Writing a picture book about grief is a difficult job; Londner accomplishes it by writing about something else: life. This is a story that works because it has more detail than necessary. When the narrator is remembering his grandfather, he's very specific: "Grandpa taught me how to tie six different Boy Scout knots." When Aviles draws Grandpa in a cowboy hat (he's marching in a parade for Purim), a gold star is pinned on the front. This is a book about gravestones and memorial services, but even a scene in a cemetery includes more than one emotion: "People smile when they see the name 'Duke' along with Grandpa's real name. That was his nickname....Grandpa Duke and I watched John Wayne movies together, and he let me wear his cowboy hat." This is a story about grief, but it's also about cowboys and parades and the best way to catch a frog, and some readers may have the strange experience of missing a person they never knew. The story is so very packed with detail it's as though the author wanted to write one that contained all of life. She didn't succeed, of course. It would have been impossible. This is a book that celebrates a life, full of Boy Scout knots and costume parties, and that's more than enough. (Picture book. 5-9)

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May 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-A gentle and moving account of a child's grief during the first year following his grandfather's death. The boy experiences the Jewish year of holidays without his grandpa to hang the lights in the Sukkah, spin the dreidel, and march in the Purim parade with him. His mother helps him to remember Grandpa with a memory box of keepsakes and photos, reassuring him that memories of those we love will always be with us. The story ends with a trip to the cemetery for the unveiling of the grandfather's tombstone, marking the end of the official year of mourning. Family and friends participate in the ritual by leaving stones on it. One places a rock from a schoolyard, another leaves a piece of sea glass, marking their visit and leaving a timeless reminder. The text and illustrations accurately portray mourning rituals, though the mention and depiction of leaving flowers at the grave may seem unusual to some readers. Fresh flowers are not traditionally part of Jewish funerals, though the use of them in cemeteries is becoming more common in Israel. The cartoon illustrations depict days without Grandpa and memories of special times when he was alive. This reassuring tale is a solid addition to Judaic collections or for libraries needing additional titles that address death and grief.-Martha Link Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

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