Author: Roddy Doyle

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: Hardcover

Siobhan was three when her mother died. Now she’s ten and lives alone with her dad who is very quiet and very sad. Siobhan can remember her mother’s hands and her voice but she can’t remember her face. One day a beautiful woman visits Siobhan in the park and shows her a way to remember her mother. She also has a special message for Siobhan’s dad. This is an incredibly special picture book. Delving into the realms of love, loss and memory it also has much to say about the continuum of family. The subversion of the traditional fairy-tale ending in the line “Siobhan didn’t live happily ever after, but she lived a long, long life and was happy a lot” gives this book a depth which complements its subject matter, but its sweet humour prevents it from being morbid. However, I would suggest reading this book alone before introducing it to the kids. I sobbed as I struggled to read it to my kids at bedtime. But it did open up a beautiful discussion about death - something we might avoid because of its sensitive nature. This book shows that death is never an ending.

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