A gentle and sensitive story about mortality and the interconnectedness of generations and of life-forms that provides a nondoctrinal, reassuring response to a child's questions about the necessity of death. Grigg's watercolors are spare, with washes of brilliant color (cheering a potentially somber subject) against pure white pages. The characters are not romanticized, but the overall effect is delicate and impressionistic.
Description
What happens when we die? In this beautifully illustrated Native American tale, a wise grandmother explains their people's understanding of death to her granddaughter as they work together on the land, for which they show an exemplary respect and love.
In this Native American tale, a wise grandmother explains the meaning of death, or the Great Change, to her questioning granddaughter. While going through their daily tasks in the Native way, taking from Mother Earth only what is needed and returning what is not used so as to replenish her, nine-year-old Wanba asks, “Why do fish have to die? Why does anything have to die? Why did Grandpa have to die?” Grandmother explains that just as a caterpillar “dies” only to become a beautiful butterfly, there is no “death” in the Circle of Life—only the Great Change.
This is a story of passing on tradition, culture, and wisdom to the next generation. It is a moving tale for everyone—child and adult—who wonders about what lies beyond this life.
Reviews
This wistful text, based on a Native American tale, ponders the meaning of life and death—reaching the sensible if daunting conclusion that one is impossible without the other.…Delicate pastel watercolors capture the story's essence on gossamer wings with a pleasing combination of sophistication and childish impressibility.