I think the idea of this book is great, but the execution doesn’t quite work. For kids, this isn’t written in a clear enough way. It’s done maybe a bit too poetically, and I think most kids won’t fully understand what the story is about, and because of that it loses its impact. The illustrations are very nice, though personally I don’t prefer the color choices.

such a heartbreaking story, I was crying while reading it, thinking of my old grandparents.
this is a beautifully told tale of dealing with loss, and I think it can help children understand their emotions.
Beautiful artwork and narrative.

This book had a lovely premise, but I feel like it could have been a bit deeper. I was expecting it to connect a bit more to nature, based on the description. I also felt that saying everything was black and white at the beginning, but making it colorful there, indoors, and also outside missed out on a great opportunity to illustrate that feeling with the visual contrast. Overall, I loved the idea. I enjoyed the moment where the narrator said they didn’t remember the last they saw her but that they know what it felt like to hold her hand - that was a great way to talk about keeping their memory close. Overall, I loved the idea. I just wish it had a little more to it.

I don’t think I am the only adult that bawled their eyes out reading this pretty most beautiful book on missing and remembering our grandparents who passed away or stay away from us.

This book is EVERYTHING. My heart and mind feel so full now.

Thank you, Pushkin Press, for the ARC.

That Day: A Celebration of Love and Memories by Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet celebrates the love and memories left behind after the passing of a loved one.

A young boy’s house is filled with people dressed in black and white, but one important person isn’t there: his grandmother. He knows his grandfather feels her absence, too, as he sits lost in thought.

The boy decides to take a walk through the snowy countryside, which sparks cherished memories of his grandmother. And when his grandfather comes out to find him, the boy realizes his grandmother will always be with them.

For the last several years, I’ve been a board member for a local non-profit dedicated to offering free grief support to children, teens, and their families. I also lost my mother when I was only 14. This is part of why That Day resonated with me. Lyet’s succinctly told story, accompanied by his colorful atmospheres and ethereal backgrounds, are like soft whispers of comfort. I love how he explored the grandfather’s grief alongside the boy’s, and the heartfelt message of shared memories bringing peace.

If you know a youngster who is grieving the loss of loved one, That Day would be a touching and meaningful way to support them through their grief and loss. Highly recommended!

Wow! The illustrations, author's use of size and colors. I really like the very few words on each page. The story moves well. The content is so important for young people.

Gorgeous art and a story that centers on celebrating the lives of our loved ones after they pass. A nod to family and the memories that we create together.

This book genuinely brought tears to my eyes. I believe it’s an excellent resource for children to learn how to cope with grief and the loss of a loved one. The illustrations are stunning and so uniquely captivating that I audibly gasped when I first opened the book. I would definitely recommend this book to families who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one and want to reassure their children that things will be okay.

This story does a great job of showing how it can be scary and confusing to lose someone, and how the boy finds his memories of his grandmother. The title immediately lets you know that the story will be about a specific moment, and it sets the scene for something a bit more serious. The nameless little boy helps make the story universal.

I loved the way the story started with the boy's confusion, and the description of everything being black and white. He moves into comparisons, and this helps him think back on his memories of his grandmother.

The illustrations are beautiful, and they really work to support the message of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback. This children’s book is about a boy who has lost his grandmother. His walk through nature helps him deal with his grief and how little things around him remind him of his grandmother. I too do the same when I am feeling the loss of my Dad. Anytime I find things in nature that are shaped as hearts I always say that is a sign from heaven. Hearts from heaven. I love the message this book sends that shows us our loved ones are still with us even though they are gone. We just have to look and feel.

Beautiful picture book depicting a young child on his grief journey, remembering his grandma. Gorgeous illustrations & simple text. Would recommend for ELSAs & pastoral support to use in schools.

3.5 Stars ✨

Children’s Fiction

That Day, is a book for small kids who may be dealing with loss and grief. A little boy is in a room with lots of people he doesn’t know and everyone seems to be in black and white. Told from the kid’s perspective, he’s wondering where his grandma is. He sees his grandpa just sitting in a chair looking lost. He decides to take a walk and clear his mind. As he walks outside, he begins to remember things he loved about his grandma and feels her presence all around in nature.

This was a short a simple book with very few words and bright illustrations. I think this would definitely be a good book for a child dealing with this type of loss. It helps them understand their emotions and to remember to focus on the memories of the person they may have lost.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of That Day, in exchange for an honest review.

This book had beautiful artwork. The colors are just mesmerizing! It's a very touching story that explores a child's experience of grief in a way that I think children would certainly understand. It's definitely one I will save to read to my son when we need to talk about this.

Thank you so much to the Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to have access to this eARC! I hope to purchase a physical copy of this for my son's library.

A profound, sincere and relatable book on grief.
The approach and the young child characters’ reactions are appropriate.
I wish the narrative and the message were interwoven slightly more smoothly, but this is a minor criticism. 4.5 stars.

A beautiful book about a little boy dealing with the death of his grandmother. The illustrations are lovely, and very colourful and comforting for a young child. The ways the boy sees his grandmother all around him in nature would make such a wonderful starting point to have conversations about the subject with a child dealing with loss themselves.

Just a beautiful book about how a grandson going through the emotional and trying to remember his grandmother who has past away. Very lovely way to show how young children of potentially deal with grief. The illustrations are absolutely stunning. The colours are so vivid and everything flowed so nicely.

This is a beautiful book about exploring grief. The illustration is so good. I love all the colors used here, pretty like a rainbow but not too much.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pushkin Press for providing this eARC!

When I worked in a children’s room at our public library, we were often asked for books to share with young children about the topic of death. Not only is this a beautiful picture book filled with colorful illustrations, it is sure to get memories of a grandmother flowing through any reader’s mind. Highly recommended.

This is an exquisitely beautiful book sensitively exploring grief and the loss of a grandparent.

A little boy is confused as the house is full of people ; his grandfather sits alone .. the young boy goes out into the cold and snow and remembers his grandmother - sensorially thinking of her - capturing thoughts and images.

Pierre- Emmanuel Lyet’s illustrations are profoundly moving - the colour palette is magical and Sarah Ardizzone’s translation are pitch perfect

This is the perfect book for 3-7 year olds to explore grief and the loss of a loved one- a PSHE class book or one for a home discussion and understanding