A few weeks ago I saw Maria Shriver, the author of What’s Heaven? on Oprah. The topic for this particular show was her new book entitled, What’s Wrong With Timmy? Since that book is not yet within The Los Angeles Public Library system , I opted to check out What’s Heaven?, as I was curious to the style of the author and this book’s subject matter.

Upon arrival home I tried to persuade my six-year old autistic son to sit and read this book with me. The cover design shows a girl in a dress looking up at the sky. My son took this as an indication that the book is for girls and about girls. He was more interested in the Dinosaur books so I did not pressure him to look through this book.

Basically my children have not met other members of the family as we are on opposite sides of the coast and their father’s relatives are in Canada. My son knows a little about death, only from some videos he has watched, and was deeply troubled by seeing a cat run over near our house almost a year ago. I decided it would be best for me to just read What’s Heaven? and learn from the pages of the book on how to explain this when the time comes for my immediate family.

The book came to light when the author, Maria Shriver, lost her grandmother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, and had to explain this loss to her two young daughters at the time. The book consists of thirty-two pages sharing discussions between a girl named Kate and her mother. The mother is very sad one day and explains to Kate that grandma died. Kate is full of questions that the author’s own daughter had asked.

On each page the pastel illustrations portray the scenes described on that particular page. Sandra Speidel has won awards for her previous pastel illustrations in children’s books. The first picture shows a girl sitting among the flower pots with her mother sharing a special moment, possibly reflecting on the life of the loved one who just passed away. Next Kate asks about Angels and the illustration shows an Angel sailing through the sky.

When Kate ponders how one would arrive at Heaven the illustration shows a young girl deep in thought. Kate compares losing her dog Shamrock and recalls things she liked about her dog. Her mother explains those things are the soul that goes to heaven when the angels come down. Later that day Kate and the rest of her siblings go to her grandma’s house where she plays outside with her cousin Bobby. Kate was eager to explain to Bobby about heaven. Bobby than told Kate they were going to a funeral and what that entailed. Kate was interested in knowing what would happen to her great-grandma in a box, asking her mother more questions while getting her hair brushed.

“ What’s really important for you to remember is that you shouldn’t worry about anybody after they die. They are going to a beautiful place where they will be happy forever. You go to Heaven when your life here on earth is over. But no one who goes to Heaven is forgotten. Their friends and family always remember them. So, in a way, they live on in all of us.”

Kate was curious to know if there was an animal and people heaven and decided there was but they got to play together during the day. Kate wondered what people wore in heaven and later realized that it is a safe place with God and the angels. Once Kate understood that her great-grandma would no longer be sick in bed and could enjoy games and parties she was satisfied with the answers given.

Kate learned that each member of her family carries a piece of the relatives that are in Heaven and she was taught to believe in herself. Kate went outside to play and glanced up at the sky leaving a message for her great-grandmother, “ your spirit will always be alive in me”.

I was pleased with the way this book handled the questions young children might ask at a time when a loved one dies. I felt this was suitable for any faith, as this did not delve into any certain religious practices. I would think this would be a good book for a Sunday school class to read as well as for children over the age of four or five in a pre-school setting and regular classrooms.

I would certainly get this book when the time is right and the subject needs to be addressed. It would be worth having on staff in the Hospital for families to read when someone passes on, especially in the Children’s ward. With more families having their elderly relatives living with them, this is a subject that might need to be addressed. What’s Heaven? will help in dealing with the loss of family pets as well as when tragedy hits in the media and in our schools.

What’s Heaven? lists for $21.00 Canadian as on the flap of the book. You can purchase this at amazon.com for $12.00 new or a used copy at $7.00. The text and illustrations were copyrighted in 1999. This is a Golden Books Publication in hardcover with the reading level ages four to eight. The cover of the book is found here, http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0307440435.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Recommended: Yes