Gr 1-4– When Elizabeth is eight years old, her father dies. She displays anger over his illness and denial when she hears of his death. Gradually, with the help of her mother and grandmother, she comes to accept his absence. She learns to sew, and she and her grandmother piece together patches of favorite clothing saved over time, clothing that holds treasured memories of her father. When the quilt is finished, Elizabeth wraps herself inside, enters the tree house her father built for her, and feels better knowing that she holds him deep within her. The child’s feelings are universal and are presented with clarity and honesty. Black-and-white pencil drawings show scenes from the present as well as from the past. There is a stiffness to the characters, and some of the scenes are static; however, the usefulness of the text outweighs these minor drawbacks. –Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Amazon Reader Review

This book very gently and compassionately guides children through grieving the loss of a parent or loved one and helps them focus on the happy, loving memories of the one they lost. After Elizabeth’s father dies, she and her grandmother piece together a quilt made up of scraps of his clothing. Each scrap is reminiscent of a time when he wore the article of clothing. In the end, Elizabeth wraps herself up in this quilt to comfort herself and remember her father. I bought this book for my then 8 year old daughter when a classmate died of cancer, and we are still touched by its message 6 years later. It is a wonderful, wonderful book.