WHEN GRAMMY GOES AWAY,by Flo Barnett, a pre-school director & kindergarten teacher, deals with loss of a loved one in a sensitive, age-appropriate manner.
Young children need to be able to express themselves during such difficult times no matter how atypical their behavior may be. They need to be allowed to ask questions and receive answers they can understand.
WHEN GRAMMY GOES AWAY is based on my personal experince of losing my dad when I was only three years old. In 1948, children were expected to be seen and not heard. I never knew why my father left for work one day and never came back. No one ever took the time to explain what had happened because I'm sure they thought I wouldn't understand. I was exposed to the crying and anger which normally accompanies loss, but had no idea why my family was acting that way. As a result, I became fearful and anxious. Although it's been 67 years, my dad's death has had an extreme effect on my life. Had WHEN GRAMMY GOES AWAY been written then, I believe it would have made a great impact on how I looked at loss over these many years. Do yourself and your children a huge favor, and have my book on hand for the difficult times in your lives.
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