OMG! Have a pack of tissues with you! I bawled my eyes out (well, I could have as I read this, though available, online reader copy)! This is one of the saddest, yet most beautiful stories of the loss of a beloved grandparent/grandfather, I think I have ever read.
At first, I did not think I would like Grandpa’s Window as it gave me a start (how in the world would Grandpa have a window in the hospital that overlooked the ocean when all the other windows had a view of gray buildings?). But as soon as the “twist happened” that is when things really went into tearville.
And I already had a pool of tears to start with! Laura Ghel creates a book that, while in a picture book format, can be used for many different ages. And I would say it could work up to around second grade, even though sometimes it can be young looking. This story of Daria, and her beloved grandfather shows how they are able to communicate through stories, simple phrases, and touch. The scene showing the death of the grandfather also was heart wrenching (no words are used) and the revelation of the ocean view is bittersweet.
And then there are Udayana Lugo’s illustrations. They are cute, a bit cartoon-like, but not cartoonish. They have light, pastel colors and a simplicity to them that has some depth without being overwhelming. Daria presents as biracial (probably Asian), and her grandfather is white. The lightness to things helps counter the more serious theme
Extras at the end offer assistance in talking to your child about loss.
