Have you heard of the immortal jellyfish? Known as the ‘turritopsis dohrnii’, it technically never really dies. When it starts to decay its cells reaggregate in to polyps, from which new baby jellyfish emerge. Fascinating! You can read more here. This book takes this philosophy of reincarnation and uses it to help children process grief after loss.
As this story begins we see a small boy and his Grandpa drawing jellyfish together. As they sketch, the Grandpa talks about the special immortal jellyfish and its ability to live on forever. They discuss immortality, leaving the boy a little confused. He wants to live forever too. If the jellyfish can do it, then why can’t he?
Not long after, the Grandpa passes away. The boy is devastated and finds refuge in sleep after a day of crying hot tears. What follows is a magical dream sequence which helps him to cope with his grief.
I have been a massive bookworm since I was a little girl, so when Ivy was born I was really excited at the prospect of sharing my childhood favourites with her. We’ve been reading together since she was about 4 months old and it’s always the best part of the day! She’s now almost 4 and I can’t begin to imagine how many hours she has spent snuggled on my lap listening to stories. It’s such a great way to bond and over the years she has learned so much. I love how books offer a little window in to different ways of life.
