Simply give it to a child you know and love today. Don’t wait to give it as a gift on a birthday or holiday. As the pandemic that will remain in all of our memories continues, it will serve as an excellent tool to help children reflect upon and talk about the difficult times we are living in. Life continues.įor families, schools, and faith communities this new book is an important addition to any library. Then she asked if we could read Babar again. We closed the book and gave each other a hug. What she missed most was her friends, but was happy to be back at school even though they had to wear masks. The questions at the end of this true story opened up further conversation while looking at the pages that she could write in (“Some other day,” she said.) What she remembered most about these times was not being able to go to friends’ birthday parties or have playdates. Life is no longer the same, but we have gained much in learning how to protect ourselves and our neighbors. Grant has created a simple book with important words to help children articulate what the past 18 months have meant – to all of us. She helped her parents in their vegetable garden. Her dog and cats have kept her company when she couldn’t go to school. During this past year she has come to know a variety of bird species by name. With eyes wide open, she listened as I read about what she calls “the sickness.” Three pages in, with an illustration of a masked healthcare worker, she exclaimed, “This isn’t ‘once upon a time’ – it’s about today!” As we turned each page slowly, letting the words and illustrations soak in, she proceeded to tell me how she had a similar experience to each picture. (Fairy tales with princesses are a favorite.) But immediately the Gillian Whiting’s illustrations took a somber tone, effectively changing the mood to one of importance and reality. Beginning with the familiar, “once upon a time,” Grant immediately engaged her, thinking that a fairy tale was about to begin.

Once upon a time not long ago remix