Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an important book. As a parent and teacher I hope never to have to use it. That being said, 6 years ago I was in a position that this book would have been recieved differently. I was the parent in the deep dark sadness. I was the one who had a plan for my body to stop working. Since then I have done everything possible to overcome those thoughts. As a result I am incredibly open and vulnerable to share my story as often as possible. While I hope this book remains unread by many, knowing it is there is so important. I will be ordering a physical copy for my classroom library and school should we need to support a child or family through a death by suicide.

This book would be wonderful for a counselor's office when dealing with grief and suicide. It explores why the father died and how they can be sad and happy with the memories of the father, along with remembering that the father did not commit suicide because of anything the child or the mom did.

It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on mental illness, grief, suicidal ideations, the death of a loved one, suicide, & others.

Oliver’s father has died by suicide. His absence looms over the family. As Oliver grows he seeks to understand where his father went & why he isn’t with him & his mother anymore. Oliver’s father experienced such severe depressive episodes in life, he became unable to wake with the dawn & was perpetually sheltered from life; his depression cripple him. This is difficult to explain to the most learned of individuals. This book seeks to try to bridge the divide between a child’s understanding of the world & death.

This was an important book for me to read because I was a curious child with a morbid fascination with the disappeared, the unusual flow of life & the permanency of death. However, this is not a book that is well-written. The flow of the story is highly redundant with pages literally repeating the same sequence of both words & events that were showcased in the pages previously. This is not done to drive home a positive message; it would be beneficial to repeat how much Oliver’s father loved him. Rather, the redundancy bogs down the story because it repeats things that are not the core message.

Yes, it is good to know that Oliver’s father held his child but, it is just as important to take up space on the pages explaining that Oliver’s father was a human being who was suffering. What I am trying to express is that the core message of this story is lost in overt uses of the inquisitive term, without actually providing an answer. I would have wanted to see language that encourages children to ask questions & not be afraid of feeling sad or worried that their inquisitive nature might be making their parents sad. Many children withhold curiosity because they do not want to cause sadness to their parents. In this situation, it should be highlighted that the parent’s role remains one of a caretaker to the child. Oliver is not responsible for healing his mother.

The nature of the story is beneficial to explore & I should hope to see further stories broach the reality. Children deserve to know why someone who was meant to love them for all of their life, isn’t there anymore. There is language & action that can be used & done to shed light on these situations in tender & earnest ways. Ultimately, this story could be good if edited to incorporate more than the emphasis on the mother’s emotions & experiences. Oliver is a shadow character whereas his own father is the one that is gone.

Thank you to NetGalley, American Psychological Association, & Melissa Allen Heath for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Heath tackles an enormously sensitive subject with grace and honesty. This book will be of such value to grieving children and the adults in the lives seeking to explain death by suicide in an age-appropriate way. We'll be purchasing this book and adding it to a growing list of titles that help children cope with grief.

Published: 11/14/23

Thank you NetGalley and American Psychological Association, Magination Press for this beautifully written story.

How do you explain the suicide of a parent to a young child? I have often wondered. This book spoke volumes to me. I think it is well-written and answers the question of why. In addition, reinforcing love and not blaming is important. Suicide is not contagious.

At the conclusion, there are words and helpful things written by the AMA.

I think people in large masses should read this.

The death of a parent is the most traumatic challenge for a child. Specifically, if it is death by suicide. Such an event leads children to the chances of having a risk of anxiety, self-blaming, and even depression.

"Why?" is a story of a boy whose father died by committing suicide. The book opens a communication to a foundation for healing from the trauma.

The author has done an impressive work by expressing the story as a conversation between a mother and son, which is in fact, an excellent and simple sample of conversation that one can  start off a discuss with another.

Also, the author's note is an excellent article of encouragement to use as a tool to help someone in need.

"Why?" reflects on a difficult yet much needed discussion of loss of loved ones from suicide.

Special thanks to Netgalley,  Magination Press, Melissa Allen Heath, and American Psychology Association to come up with a wonderful resource to help someone who has lost their loved one from suicide. 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This is a much needed picture book about a child whose father commits suicide. The child questions why and the mother explains how much he was loved, but that he needed to escape the deep, dark sadness.

What a difficult, unspoken topic, but a beautiful way to help already grieving parents support and uplift their child. This story read like a poam of the realities of coping, and moving through life with hurt and sadness that is so hard to put into words, and hard because it could potentially hurt or harm emotions that are already so fragile. What a wonderful source for parents and lean on.

The authors note at the back were very heartfelt and a great source of encouragement.

The illustrations are stunning, and also piercing.

Thank you Net Galley, and the American Psychological Association for doing what you do to help in the way of books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own