I'll be the water : a story of a grandparent's love

I'll be the water A story of a grandparent's love

Alec Aspinwall

Book - 2020

Joshua and his grandfather love being together. More than anything else they love fishing. But Grandpa gets sick and is in the hospital a long time. When he gets out, he and Joshua share one more fishing adventure, and Grandpa promises Joshua that he will always be near. "Think of it this way," Grandpa says. "Today, you and I are like two fish swimming together in this lake. When I die, things will be different. I won't be a fish anymore, but I'll become something even better. My love will be like the water in the lake. You might think I'm not with you, but we'll be closer than ever because you'll be surrounded by my love."

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Subjects
Grandfathers > Juvenile fiction.
Grandparent and child > Juvenile fiction.
Death > Juvenile fiction.
Grief > Juvenile fiction.
Fishing stories.
Children's stories > Pictorial works.
Picture books.
Genres
Children's stories Pictorial works
Picture books
Published
Thomaston, Maine : Tilbury House Publishers [2020]
Language
English
Main Author
Alec Aspinwall (author)
Other Authors
Nicole (Nicole E.) Wong (illustrator)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 24 x 27 cm
ISBN
9780884487760
Contents unavailable.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A boy loses his grandfather but comes to realize his grandfather's love never ends. Joshua's grandfather fills his life with wonder. Whether they're digging in the dirt or eating ice cream, it's always an adventure. But when Grandpa is admitted to the hospital, Joshua begins to understand the frailty of life. Happily, Grandpa is released, and once again the two are able to fish together. Only this time, Joshua finds he must ask the question percolating in his mind: whether Grandpa fears dying. In Grandpa's response, Aspinwall offers a series of beautiful similes, allowing even young readers to understand how love can continue even after a person has passed. While feelings of pain, betrayal, and anger are acknowledged, it is a warm, embracing, and unbroken love that remains. As Grandpa likens Joshua and himself to two fishes in the lake, he explains that when he passes he will then become the water that surrounds the fish with love, always present if Joshua just looks with his heart. Delicate pen lines, light shades, and subtle watercolor washes lend to the text's gentle approach to a difficult topic. A comforting and meaningful addition to stories about loss and grieving. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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