This book explores how community and music can ease grief. It starts with the acts of kindness of a child, Mara, and her grandparents who spend every All Souls' Day going house to house, singing to neighbors whose loved ones have died.
But what are Mara and her grandmother Nene to do when her grandfather, Popi, dies? Bravely, they carry on his tradition of comforting neighbors, as he would have wanted them to do. But it is not without a toll; as Nene puts it, "I miss him more with every note."
Shelly Swann's illustrations are solemn and tender. In one, Mara tucks a homey quilt around Nene as Nene hugs Popi's picture to her chest. Their sweet white dog stands on hind paws leaning against the quilt, trying to add comfort in the ways that only our four-legged friends can.
When the story turns, in a "what goes around, comes around" moment, what stands out is love, light, and the simplicity of a song embraced by an entire community. No one can take away grief which, as Nene puts it, "can't be measured like snow on the mountains." But music and caring companionship nonetheless provide medicine for the heart.
Ideal for children ages four to eight, this book concludes with an "About All Souls' Day" page that distinguishes this November 2 commemoration from All Saints Day (November 1). Award-winning author, educator, and literary coach C.K. Malone calls All Souls' Day "a beautiful tribute to the faithful who have passed on from this life."
