Booklist, starred review
★ "A moving tale...offers comfort and peace to those left behind."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★"A beautifully
rendered tale of loss, love, grief, and gentle healing."""
School Library Connection
“Text and illustration come together to make this a memorable story of love, loss, and despair tinged with the hope that comes when healing can finally begin...This book has a wide range of appeal and will fit into many curriculum areas. Highly Recommended.”
Publisher Weekly, starred review
★ “An affecting, well-rendered resource for talking about catastrophes and grief both personal and communal.”
School Library Journal, starred review
★ “Smith spins a quietly moving narrative...Wada’s large-scale woodblock style illustrations are a perfect complement to the story’s restrained text...The graceful way in which this book handles a sensitive and serious subject makes it a first purchase for most picture book collections.”
The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
“A moving concept, and the book might open discussion about ways to deal with death and loss.”
The Horn Book
“This tender look at both personal and community loss shows how we begin to take the first small, difficult steps toward healing.”
Resource Links
“Beautifully lyrical…This story is sure to be a favourite...Highly recommended for all children’s libraries.”
Hakai Magazine
“Touching tale of loss and resilience.”
CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“[An] affecting story...Will provide much material for thought and discussion. The artwork will also give inspiration to budding illustrators of all ages.”
Sal's Fiction Addiction
“Wondrous, full of grace, and so poignant.”
Must Read Literature: K thru YA
“This book is an essential purchase for elementary school libraries and home libraries. Children need to learn empathy, coping skills and the simplicity of communicating to help during the healing process.”
Canadian Children's Book News
"Tackles tragedy with compassion and shows that beauty and community can be found in even the darkest times...The illustrations, inspired by traditional Japanese art, are my favorite from any picture book in 2019 and perfectly capture the story's themes of hope and loss. While young readers may have many questions about death, this book answers one of the biggest ones--how do we move forward? The answer, according to Mr. Hirota, is together."