A Stopwatch from Grampa by Loretta Garbutt, illustrated by Carmen Mok. PICTURE BOOK. Kids
Can Press, Limited. $18. 9781525301445
BUYING
ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
The boy and his Grampa spend a lot of time together. One of their favorite activities is to use Grampa's stopwatch and time everything. How long does it take to race to the end of the street and back? Eating bubblegum ice cream takes 1 minute, 58 seconds. Brain freeze: 6 seconds! Sometimes the boy times his Grampa: 5 minutes to eat three oatmeal raisin cookies. But one summer Grampa was gone and the little boy was given the stopwatch. "I don't want the stopwatch. I want him." The little boy goes through a grieving period but comes out the other side with a greater appreciation for the time he was able to spend with his Grampa and the treasure that was left for him after his passing.
A Stopwatch from Grampa is the perfect picture book to help grieving children understand the emotions associated with death. The boy loved his Grampa very much. Memories of him were tenderhearted. But feelings of anger and sadness replaced those memories. Eventually as time passes, the boy again remembers his Grampa with fondness and love. A Stopwatch from Grampa would make a great gift for someone who has experienced loss. The story is written in such a way that discussion of death and emotions associated with death would easily follow.
Reviewer: SL
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