Rachel is a young Jewish girl whose grandfather Zayde has come to live with her family. She knows that he is dying but doesn't know what to do about it. Zayde cannot play hide and seek with her any more. Instead he sits in a sleeper-chair in the living room. When Rachel plays catch with him, he soon gets tired and has to stop.
When she asks the rabbi whether Zayde is dying, he responds, "He is living, Rachel, until the moment he dies." Then the rabbi tells her about the Jewish view of the World to Come. She envisions it as a joyful place. Zayde says that his spirit will live on in the love and the memories of those closest to him. Rachel breathes in and then breathes out knowing that it is time to harvest all of her wonderful memories of her grandfather.
Written by Sheri Sinykin and illustrated by Krista Swarner, this profound children's book makes an excellent primer on grief for those ages 6 through 10.
