When Grandfather Flew

Description

A grieving boy remembers his grandfather and the hobby they shared, in this moving evocation of love and loss by a Newbery Medalist. Milo's grandfather is fascinated by birds. He admires their freedom and never loses an opportunity to point out the things that make each one special. When he can no longer see as well as he used to, Milo helps him spot and take care of some of his favorites- hovering kestrels, fragile chickadees, and the bald eagle soaring high overhead. One day when Milo comes home, Grandpa isn't there. But when the boy sees an eagle swooping through the sky above, he knows Grandpa is still with them- reborn in the skies, just as he'd wanted. This honest, reflective, and deeply moving portrait of grief offers young readers comfort and hope in difficult times. When Grandfather Flew celebrates the close, beautiful relationships between children and grandparents, and the unique ways we keep lost loved ones close. With a lyrical text by acclaimed author Patricia MacLachlan and vivid, textural artwork by Chris Sheban, this wistful story will resonate with anyone who has felt the loss of a loved one-- and will remind you to look for the reminders of the love you shared. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Patricia MacLachlan is the author of many novels for children, including the Newbery Medal-winning Sarah, Plain and Tall; Baby; Waiting for the Magic, and The Truth of Me. Among her picture books are The Iridescence of Birds, Someone Like Me, and What You Know First. She lives in Western Massachusetts. Chris Sheban won a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for his illustrations in The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepulveda. He previously collaborated with Patricia MacLachlan on Someone Like Me. He also illustrated What a Cold Needs by Barbara Bottner, Job Wanted by Teresa Bateman, and Three Squeezes by Jason Pratt. He lives in Northbrook, Illinois.

"MacLachlan (Wondrous Rex) creates deeply sympathetic characters in a few sentences, and invites readers to share in the lives of a family nurtured by the natural world-and comforted by it in their grief."-Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "This poignant, tender tale, economically told, brims with love and kindness, not to mention respect-for elders and for nature-and is sure to evoke empathy among readers and listeners. Kids who've lost close family members may feel reassured that memories of their loved ones will persist in a sweet manner. The gentle, textured illustrations, created with watercolors, pastels, and pencil, are lovely, depicting the various birds named herein with colorful majesty. . . . Warm, calming, affectionate, quietly soaring." -Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "[A] reflection on life and love. . . . Sheban's soft-edged, textured illustrations . . . add a calm pleasantness to the story. The resulting tale is a gentle one of love and sadness, but it also contains hope that another, possibly better, life exists after death."-Booklist "Text and illustrations interplay beautifully, as in the quiet image of a sad Milo being hugged when he discovers that Grandfather has gone. A sensitive portrayal of family, love, life, and death presented in a child- friendly manner. "-The Horn Book "Sheban's impressionistic watercolor and pastel illustrations ably capture MacLachlan's contemplative mood; rendering characters and their environment in the same textures underscores the family's shared identification as part of rather than apart from nature . . . "-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "When Grandfather Flew is a moving and intimate book with an underlying sense of gravity. For anyone who's ever looked to the sky as they remembered someone they loved, it will be a story that resonates."-BookPage "An elegant telling, combined with beautifully rendered illustrations create a naturalistic and positive glimpse of life and death. An excellent book to teach appreciation of our elders, as well as a study in grief and hope."-School Library Journal