I recently came across this book and was intrigued by the sombre themes that this picture book contains. It sublty exposes young children to the bittersweet cycle of birth, life and death. It contains a strong moral on the circle of life and the importance of family which students can learn from and relate to their own past and/or future experiences.
The story focuses on the protagonist, Sophie who spends lots of time with her Grandpa and loves him dearly. As Sophie grows bigger, her Grandpa gets smaller but they maintain their closeness and love. When her Grandpa dies, Sophie has an emptiness in her heart until she has a baby girl of her own. The birth of her daughter brings back all the familiar feelings of the love that she had for her Grandpa.
The book contains colourful and bold illustrations which appear to have been constructed with acrylics and dyes. You will notice that the hands of the people throughout the book are distorted and made abnormally large. This may be to emphasise the characters 'reaching out' to the viewer/reader.
I would suggest this book for students between the ages of 5 and 8. It is very simply written and easy to understand. It also introduces students to the circle of life in a subtle way, one that is not likely to distress them.
Kirsty
http://www.memfox.com/welcome.html - visit Mem Fox's website for plenty of biographical information as well as information on her books and educational resources.
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