A Stopwatch from Grampa
by Loretta Garbutt & Carmen Mok

This poignant story looks at the loss of a grandparent told from a child’s point of view.

When the little boy in this story receives his Grampa’s stopwatch he is overcome with grief. Grampa is gone and he doesn’t want this little reminder of all the fun they used to have together. The stopwatch used to be their favourite thing. They timed everything! How long does it take to eat a bubblegum ice cream? How long does it take for a caterpillar to crawl up your leg? How long does it take to run to the end of the street and back?

But now there’s no more time with Grampa. Just this little stopwatch. Angry, the boy throws it in a drawer and tries to forget but everything feels different now, even school and spending time with his friends.

Time passes until one day the boy, a little older now, finds the stopwatch hidden under a jumper. The memories come flooding back but now it feels good to remember. As the old adage goes: time heals all wounds.

This is a simple story which packs an emotional punch. Anyone who has suffered a loss will recognise the stages of grief we see this little boy go through, but it’s pitched in a way which makes it easy for a small child to understand. I particularly like the way the illustrations support the text, with warm tones and easy to follow facial expressions.

Buy from Bookshop.org and support independent bookshops: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/155/9781789561692

Buy from Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3c8rVa5

Note these are affiliate links and Ivy’s Library will receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.