Stones for Grandpa

by Renee Londner, Martha Graciela Avilés (Illustrator)

Overview

A little boy and his family gather at the cemetery for the unveiling of his grandpa’s gravestone, bringing stones to place on the grave, in the Jewish custom. They tell stories that help the boy deal with his loss, reminding him of the wonderful memories he has of his grandpa.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761374961
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2013
Series:	Lerner Life Cycle Series
Pages:	24
Sales rank:	1,130,116
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Renee Londner is the author of children's books including Ruby's Whistle and Stones for Grandpa, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. Her stories have also appeared in magazines including Jewish Family, Shofar, and Spider. She lives in Connecticut.

Martha Avilés was born and raised in Mexico City. She has illustrated many children's books including Say Hello, Lily; The Shabbat Princess; and Stones for Grandpa.

Editorial Reviews

Londner (Ruby’s Whistle) and Avilés (The Shabbat Princess) present a small boy as he observes two of the distinctly Jewish rituals of mourning: the unveiling of his beloved grandfather’s tombstone (which traditionally occurs one year after a death) and the placing of stones on the tombstone by visitors to the grave (“It’s a way of showing that we have been here to remember,” explains the boy’s father). The event prompts melancholy reflection on Jewish holidays that have passed without Grandpa (“It was the first Hanukkah without Grandpa spinning his lucky dreidel”), but the rituals also help the boy understand that “memories made of someone you love never get lost.” Londner handles a difficult topic with great sensitivity and admirable restraint, while Avilés’s verdant scenes at the cemetery are beautifully realized; she reassures children that this sad and even scary setting can be a place of solace and fond celebration. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"The author treats a tough topic with a nice touch, and the illustrations create an endearing visual accompaniment." —Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

Writing a picture book about grief is a difficult job; Londner accomplishes it by writing about something else: life. This is a story that works because it has more detail than necessary. When the narrator is remembering his grandfather, he's very specific: "Grandpa taught me how to tie six different Boy Scout knots." When Avilés draws Grandpa in a cowboy hat (he's marching in a parade for Purim), a gold star is pinned on the front. This is a book about gravestones and memorial services, but even a scene in a cemetery includes more than one emotion: "People smile when they see the name ‘Duke' along with Grandpa's real name. That was his nickname....Grandpa Duke and I watched John Wayne movies together, and he let me wear his cowboy hat." This is a story about grief, but it's also about cowboys and parades and the best way to catch a frog, and some readers may have the strange experience of missing a person they never knew. The story is so very packed with detail it's as though the author wanted to write one that contained all of life. She didn't succeed, of course. It would have been impossible. This is a book that celebrates a life, full of Boy Scout knots and costume parties, and that's more than enough. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews