Illustrated by Xindi Yan 5 stars An absolutely stunning exploration of the lasting presence of a loved one. A little girl remembers her grandfather and keeps his memory alive by enjoying the things they once did together. While she is saddened by his absence, she finds joy in living out the lessons she learned from…
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Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller 5 stars Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Told entirely as a palindrome, this lushly-illustrated fantasy tale follows a young boy grieving the loss of his mother. In his anger and grief, he sets out on an adventure to seek the answer to a crucial question, learning an important lesson along the way. A…
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4 stars Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is the first I’ve read of Armstrong’s work. Nicola is grieving over the loss of her husband, Anton. Due to her cystic fibrosis, she always expected to die first. In an effort for closure, Nicola dabbles in the world…
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Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot 3 stars A heartwarming exploration of grief, regret, family, and love. From those who didn’t express themselves before it was too late to those who feel they’ve wronged their loved ones, Café Funiculi Funicula gives customers a chance to resolve unfinished business with those they’ve lost. Though they can’t change the…
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Translated by Amber Tamosaitis 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A nice, slow-paced story exploring human connections and overcoming past trauma. Yutaka has a hard time eating with other people. He isn’t close with his family and he finds it difficult to connect with others. But after a chance meeting with two brothers, their cooking sessions soon…
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Illustrated by Mariyah Rahman 3 stars A sweet, lyrical book about remembering those you’ve lost and their continuing love. Nice rhymes. The text works well for talking about belief in an afterlife and different ways to connect to loved ones after they’re gone such as writing letters to them or singing their favorite songs. The…
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Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff 5 stars I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The novel-in-verse genre at its finest. I absolutely loved this book. Well-written with engaging characters, powerful themes, and a wonderful story. Includes themes of friends growing apart, loss, grief, guilt, racism, crushes, masculinity, family, and societal expectations. There was…
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Illustrated by Kukka Translated by Evan Ward 3 stars A mysterious tunnel rumored to grant wishes, a pair of teens with troubled pasts, and an unexpected friendship born from the desire to know more. I’ve been really loving the manga of this and enjoyed the anime so I figured I’d check out the original light…
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Illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte Translated by Karen Li 3.5 stars Told from the perspective of a child, this book is a touching story of grief, loss, and recovery. Everyone is excited about the new baby. They all prepare for the upcoming arrival. But when his parents come home from the hospital without his new sibling,…
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Story by Mei Hachimoku Illustrated by Koudon Translated by Alexa Frank 5 stars Definitely grabbed this one for its gorgeous cover. I didn’t initially realize it was based on a light novel that was made into an anime. Even without background though, I thoroughly enjoyed this manga. When Kaoru overhears a legend about a tunnel…
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