Joseph Coelho dedicates this lovely picture book to ‘everyone who misses someone’ and it’s particularly apposite for any child who has recently lost a grandparent. The story is narrated by a little girl who describes happy times with her grandad, ordinary everyday experiences interspersed with vivid metaphor, ‘if all the world were deep space, I’d orbit my grandad like the moon and our laughs would be shooting stars’. As the story continues, it’s clear Grandad has died, but writing down her memories ensures he will always be with her. Joseph Coelho is a fine poet and this is a joy to read aloud; Allison Colpoy’s illustrations make it beautiful to look at too and it deserves a place in every child’s collection.
A moving, lyrical picture book about a young girl's love for her granddad and how she copes when he dies, written by poet and playwright Joseph Coelho. This beautifully illustrated, powerful and ultimately uplifting text is the ideal way to introduce children to the concept of death and dying, particularly children who have lost a grandparent.
Joseph Coelho OBE, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and Children's Laureate for 2022-2024, is a performance poet, children’s author, playwright and winner of the Yoto Carnegie Award, an Indie Book Award and a Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Poetry Award. Joe has written plays for the Polka Theatre, Soho Theatre and the Unicorn Theatre and creates dynamic poetry theatre pieces for young people that he tours nationally. He also performs with the UK's top performance poetry organisation, Apples and Snakes, visiting venues across the UK. Joseph has also been a guest poet on Cbeebies’ Rhyme Rocket.
Originally from London, he now lives by the sea in Kent.