Grandad's Island: Benji Davies

Product Information

It is written in a lovely, heart-warming way, and I can imagine it could be really valuable for use in the classroom, PSHE, or for a child to read with parents. A beautiful book with great illustrations and a lovely story, which may help children with the loss of a grandparent. A touching and comforting book that could be used to deal with the loss of a grandparent, as well as a good every day read.

Num momento tão dramático como aquele em que atravessamos, em que tantas crianças se veem impedidas de despedir daqueles que partem, este livro pode ser uma forma de abordar o assunto com os mais novos. This would be a great story to read to children for them to learn to cope with oncoming death, or if they have experienced loss at some point. It's almost so subtle that you read it and are like - wait, am I a downer for thinking the grandfather died? The happiness the two characters experience on the island relates to Syd remembering all the fun times with his Grandad while the rocky trip home explores the difficult emotions he may be experiencing.Trading Address (Warehouse) Unit E, Vulcan Business Complex, Vulcan Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 3EB. It still surprises me to this day, the number of Picturebooks for children that address the theme of loss and bereavement, without actually addressing it as 'death'. While I respect that, and am glad for those who find solace in Benji Davies' story, I have to confess that something about the formulation here just didn't work for me.

A beautiful story containing a metaphor for death which may not be entirely obvious to younger children. It's a story about losing a loved one and while this might put some people off from reading, it could actually help you more than you think. Cheerful cinematic spreads invite young readers into all sorts of intriguing places, from a cozy attic full of curiosities like a turtle teapot, to a vast ship's deck, to the deep jungle of an island paradise. Benji Davies is the illustrator of the Bizzy Bear books, Bizzy Bear: Let’s Go and Play and Bizzy Bear: Fun on the Farm. However, with how the story portrays Grandad going to heaven, it deals with it in a sensitive way that children can understand and may help them not to be as worried.Each page is worthy of time and discussion as they lead us to understand the changing emotions that accompany the final adventure Grandad and Syd have together. My interpretation of the island was that it was a metaphor for 'heaven' and it's all about the boy having to let go of his grandfather but knowing he'll always be loved and thought of. I would love to explore this message with children and see what they think the letter at the end might say. He’s illustrated for several major publishers and is pleased to be working on Nosy Crow’s start-up list.

Sure to provide comfort to young children struggling to understand loss, Benji Davies's tale is a sensitive and beautiful reminder that our loved ones live on in our memories long after they're gone. Whilst appropriate for use with children in KS1, who may not even realise there is a metaphor for death contained within the story, the book could also be used with children in KS2 as a starting point for a PSHE lesson about bereavement.

Visiting Grandad's house at the bottom of the garden again, he finds it just the same as it's always been - except that Grandad isn't there anymore.