Description: In this deeply moving picture book, a girl heals from the loss of a loved one by making up funny and creative names for everything in her life.
Melanie names everything she sees and thinks and feels. She calls her big brother Mister and her least favorite dinner No Thanks. Her baby sister's nose is HONK! Most of all, Melanie loves coming up with names that make Mister, who is sick, laugh. His hospital gown is a Daytime Slumber Party Dress. His pain is Ouch Ouch Go Away. But then, one day, Mister dies. Are there any words to describe what it feels like to lose someone you love? Melanie cries tears that she calls Ocean Eyes. She names death Why-why-why-why-why? As time passes, though, Melanie begins to understand that her brother is still with her: in the breeze and the stars and her dreams. And she feels the stirrings of a new emotion -- one whose only name is Peace.Review Quotes: ★ "Rohana considers a profoundly difficult experience from a child's perspective, embracing sense-based experiences and emotional logic rather than attempting to encapsulate grief....Beautiful, sad, direct, and brave." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "A deeply moving and necessary addition to picture book collections dealing with grief and child loss. Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful." --School Library Journal, starred review ★ "Rohana's direct, descriptive storytelling allows readers to understand one girl's journey into and through grief....This is a gentle and successful portrayal of loss." --The Horn Book, starred review ★ "[A] loving portrait of navigating fear and grief through small acts of autonomy." --Publishers Weekly, starred review