THANK YOU, GRANDPA

Soft-focus illustrations in greens and blues, warmed by touches of orange and gold, and set off by warm orange end-papers set the mood for the brief text that tells the story of a young girl and her beloved grandfather. As she moves from toddler to girlhood, grandfather grows older until inevitably, “one day the girl walked alone.” On their walks he has taught her to say, “Thank you and good-bye,” to the dead grasshopper and the butterfly. Grandfather thanks the fireflies for “brightening our journey into the night.” Soon he cannot walk without assistance, and his granddaughter supports him, just as he helped her walk in babyhood. In the end, alone, the girl blows on a dandelion and says, “Grandpa, I love you and I’ll miss you. But I will never forget you. Thank you, and good-bye.” The images of nature are beautiful, and the joy the grandfather and girl feel at being together is evident in their faces. Though rather sweet, this will provide comfort in times of loss with its reassurance that death is part of the natural cycle of life. (Picture book. 4-8)