I'VE NEVER MET MY GRANDPA

A girl recounts her experience coping with the loss of the grandfather who died before she was born.

The young narrator, who has pale skin and long, frizzy brown hair, encounters pieces of her grandfather through family photos, conversations, mementos, and as she overhears her mother grieving. As expected, the girl wonders whether she will like the things her grandpa did—jokes, theater, music, tennis—all the while repeating, “But I’ve never met my grandpa.” This rhythm of the girl noting what she’s heard about her grandfather while incessantly reminding readers of the lack of a face-to-face encounter becomes tiresome and, unfortunately, builds toward a didactic and predictable ending. Though the girl’s parents talk about her grandfather, the missed opportunity for a shared family conversation around grief is a profound one, rendering this story a thin and unhelpful resource for parents. A brief note for children at the end asks questions that should have appeared in the story. Flat, cartoonish artwork that features rather expressionless characters and doesn’t vary in perspective only mirrors the events described in the text rather than adding visual complexity or depth. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An unsatisfying attempt to guide children through the life experience of losing a relative.