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19th out of 42 books
—
4 voters
The Scar
A little boy responds to his mother’s death in a genuine, deeply moving story leavened by glimmers of humor and captivating illustrations.
When the boy in this story wakes to find that his mother has died, he is overwhelmed with sadness, anger, and fear that he will forget her. He shuts all the windows to keep in his mother’s familiar smell and scratches open the cut on his...more
When the boy in this story wakes to find that his mother has died, he is overwhelmed with sadness, anger, and fear that he will forget her. He shuts all the windows to keep in his mother’s familiar smell and scratches open the cut on his...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
November 8th 2011
by Candlewick
(first published January 1st 2009)
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This may be the best picture book I have ever seen that deals with the subject of death, as viewed through the eyes of a child. Usually when the topic is tackled in a picture book it's a grandparent or a pet that's died. Our young narrator has just lost his mother, and he knows death is permanent: I knew that she wasn't gone--she was dead and I would never see her again. They were going to put her in a box and then in the ground, where she would turn into dust. I know very well that dying means...more
This one came out of nowhere and hit hard.
I grabbed this book off the 'New Picture Books' shelf at the local library looking only at the cover thinking it was a story of a boy who fell on the playground and hurt his leg. I was not prepared for the first page of the story.
"Mom died this morning.
It wasn't really this morning.
Dad said she died during the night,
but I was sleeping during the night.
For me, she died this morning."
Whoa. I think there was an audible gasp as I sat unmoving for severa...more
I grabbed this book off the 'New Picture Books' shelf at the local library looking only at the cover thinking it was a story of a boy who fell on the playground and hurt his leg. I was not prepared for the first page of the story.
"Mom died this morning.
It wasn't really this morning.
Dad said she died during the night,
but I was sleeping during the night.
For me, she died this morning."
Whoa. I think there was an audible gasp as I sat unmoving for severa...more
I had a strong, tearful reaction to this book. Not typical for me, and certainly not for a children's book. I do work in a hospital, and work with children of gravely ill parents. Many books exist for children to help them face grief, but are often written with a "helper" voice. This book is not like that. The young boy narrates this story, and I was struck by the quality of tone and style. Thet includes the artwork. A great stand-alone book for children and adults, regardless if the reader is f...more
I picked up this book at the library without knowing what it was about. The illustrations captured me and I thought it was going to be a cute book.
As I read the book to my kids, I realized that it was about a boy whose mother dies. My 7-year-old loved this book. He wanted me to read it over and over to him. I read it 5 times already and he wants me to buy the book. It's disturbing that he loves this book so much (because I'm not dead!), but I think what he is responding to is the emotion and hu...more
As I read the book to my kids, I realized that it was about a boy whose mother dies. My 7-year-old loved this book. He wanted me to read it over and over to him. I read it 5 times already and he wants me to buy the book. It's disturbing that he loves this book so much (because I'm not dead!), but I think what he is responding to is the emotion and hu...more
A young boy wakes up to learn his mother has finally died from a fatal disease. Over the course of the next several days, the child is at times overcome with anger, grief, and the fear of losing the memory of his mom. With a wide range of painful emotions and experiences described, this book was not easy to read. I feel Moundlic attempted too much for the short format the picture book provides. She portrays all of the following: the changed relationship between the boy and his father; his fear o...more
I came across this book when I was browsing the children's section of my local bookstore. I picked it up merely because the cover seemed interesting, and I assumed that it was a book about a child scraping their knee, or something of the sort.
As I flipped through the pages to look at the imagery, the words, "Mum has been dead for a few days," jumped out at me. I flipped back to the first page and began to read. I felt the colour rise in my cheeks as I was transported back to my childhood, which...more
As I flipped through the pages to look at the imagery, the words, "Mum has been dead for a few days," jumped out at me. I flipped back to the first page and began to read. I felt the colour rise in my cheeks as I was transported back to my childhood, which...more
The first sentence of this book is "Mom died this morning." This book is so warm, so touching, so real without giving dippy rationalizations like "Mom's in heaven" or things about life cycles. It has depth as it explores not only the boy's feelings, but his dad's and his grandmother's. It explores a range of emotions and acting out and irrational fears (don't open the windows--mom's gonna disappear for good). I think this is a great little book.
The only problem with it is the title and the cover...more
The only problem with it is the title and the cover...more
A young boy is faced with several different emotions and challenges when his mom dies. The boy feels angry at his mom, burdened with caring for his father, scared his brother's scent is leaving him, worried that his eyes remind his dad of his mom, and is full of grief. When he acquires a scab from falling outside he briefly hears his mother's voice but with the help of his grandma he learns that his mother will always be in his heart.
This book is immensely emotional but captures a large range of...more
This book is immensely emotional but captures a large range of...more
Read full review at Cracking the Cover
Losing a loved one is never easy, but it’s even harder for a young child, who doesn’t necessarily understand everything but understands more than adults think.
In “The Scar,” by Charlotte Moundlic, we meet one such little boy.
“The Scar” is one of the sweetest, saddest and most beautiful picture books you may come across. Author Chalotte Moundlic captures the pure, raw emotion of loss in a way that everyone can relate to. She also moves beyond the grief with h...more
Losing a loved one is never easy, but it’s even harder for a young child, who doesn’t necessarily understand everything but understands more than adults think.
In “The Scar,” by Charlotte Moundlic, we meet one such little boy.
“The Scar” is one of the sweetest, saddest and most beautiful picture books you may come across. Author Chalotte Moundlic captures the pure, raw emotion of loss in a way that everyone can relate to. She also moves beyond the grief with h...more
A boy wakes up to find that his mother has passed away in the night.
Moundlic's words and the page breaks guide the reader like bated breath compels each of us to ask where from where these emotional responses are coming. For anyone who has lost and grieved, we find our child's heart in this little boy as he comes down the stairs.
THE SCAR would work wonderfully well as a biblio-therapeutic title for younger readers dealing with loss and subsequent grief.
I really like the message that comes out...more
Moundlic's words and the page breaks guide the reader like bated breath compels each of us to ask where from where these emotional responses are coming. For anyone who has lost and grieved, we find our child's heart in this little boy as he comes down the stairs.
THE SCAR would work wonderfully well as a biblio-therapeutic title for younger readers dealing with loss and subsequent grief.
I really like the message that comes out...more
I first heard of this book when I was reading about picture books for older children. It sounded quite interesting but I didn’t think any more of it until I was exploring the children’s library in a newly opened library and found the book hidden in one of the many cubby holes waiting to be found. I opened it to read the first couple of pages and that was enough for me to bring it home for a proper read. It is a beautiful book that packs a very real emotional punch.
The book is narrated by a littl...more
The book is narrated by a littl...more
A young boy knows what dead is. He knows that's what's happening to his mother, but when the time comes, he struggles to deal with his grief - and looking after his father. He's afraid of losing his mother - so he keeps the windows shut, even though it is summer, to keep her smell inside. When he grazes his knee, he can hear her voice, so he keeps picking the scab off, to keep it bleeding, and the voice of his mother in his head. Then, one day, he realises the scab has gone and turned into a sca...more
How have I missed this book for us to have at school. We've needed it through the years to share with certain children. It is a French author, and evidently just came out translated into English two years ago. It tells the story of a little boy whose mother dies, and the challenge and the worry for the future. The boy worries that his father won't know what to do or how to fix special toast for breakfast. Children are definitely more direct than adults, so this says hard things about how sad the...more
This is a picture book about a little boy whose mom has died. If you need a good cry, read this book. Or, if you have recently been crying so your face is looking a little splotchy and your nose is already red, go ahead and read this since you are already a mess. Don't read this book if you have somewhere to go anytime soon, because you will cry. And don't read this book to a child unless you have already read it and decided that the child would really benefit from you reading this book to them....more
" 'No! Don't open the windows! Mom's going to disappear for good....'
And I fall and the tears flow without stopping, and there's nothing I can do and I feel very tired."
I love the syntax of the last sentence of this quotation; all those "and"s are perfect as part of the young narrator's voice; they also effectively convey the crushing power of grief. The loss of a parent--whatever the age of the child--can reduce one to this rather primitive level of thought. Within this simplicity, however, t...more
And I fall and the tears flow without stopping, and there's nothing I can do and I feel very tired."
I love the syntax of the last sentence of this quotation; all those "and"s are perfect as part of the young narrator's voice; they also effectively convey the crushing power of grief. The loss of a parent--whatever the age of the child--can reduce one to this rather primitive level of thought. Within this simplicity, however, t...more
Any book that starts off with the sentence "Mom died this morning." should have a warning label. My daughter and I both pretended we weren't choking up and having tear filled eyes over this one. I don't know if I would recommend this book to a child that is just then dealing with the loss of a parent. Maybe to read with someone who knows someone who is dealing with the death of a parent though. Possibly to understand the emotions that their friend may be going through. This book did a very good...more
Whoa. There should be either a different illustration or a subtitle to this book. I was a bit surprised by its subject. Good thing it is at the very beginning so an unsuspecting parent can close the book early on and not be surprised later. However, if one is looking for a book to help a child deal with death (especially of a parent), this book is really good. So well done. Gentle and sweet. Dealing with plenty of aspects that may a occur and that a child will certainly encounter. Good to have a...more
Sep 24, 2012
Lisa Vegan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
as a bibliotherapy book for young children who have lost a parent
Recommended to Lisa by:
Randie
This is an excellent bibliotherapy book for young children who’ve lost a parent, I’d say ages 3-8.
Hopefully they’ll have as good adults as the child in this book, but even if they don’t this book might be helpful for dealing with the grief and confusion of losing a parent.
I appreciate how this child feels, and expresses, anger, and a whole range of emotions. I appreciate all the thought processes the child goes through. Nothing feels inauthentic; it seems as though a child could react in just th...more
Hopefully they’ll have as good adults as the child in this book, but even if they don’t this book might be helpful for dealing with the grief and confusion of losing a parent.
I appreciate how this child feels, and expresses, anger, and a whole range of emotions. I appreciate all the thought processes the child goes through. Nothing feels inauthentic; it seems as though a child could react in just th...more
13 likes · like · see review
To be perfectly honest, I can only give this book a three because as a librarian I'm not sure where to shelve it. It's a vividly illustrated picture book that appears from the cover to be for youngsters of about 3 to 5 years. But the inside, text heavy story is anything but.
I'm the first to admit the need for books dealing with grief and loss of a parent, but I'm also aware that a book that opens with the line "Mom died this morning." is not really a book you want a young reader just casually pi...more
I'm the first to admit the need for books dealing with grief and loss of a parent, but I'm also aware that a book that opens with the line "Mom died this morning." is not really a book you want a young reader just casually pi...more
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is helping a child deal with the loss of a loved one. It is a hearwrenching story about a little boy whose mother dies and it details the grieving process in a way that it accessible and acceptable to kids. Although some of the word choices that the little boy uses in his narration are strange for a child (I think that's due to the translation from French), the illustrations will speak to kids and adults alike who have experienced such a traumatic...more
I picked up this book looking for something appropriate for my 6 year old nephew who just lost his mom to breast cancer. While this is a very powerful book, I am rating it only 3 stars because it is just too sad. The ending is wonderful, but I am not sure kids, or their parents, will make it that far. My daughter, 14 years, picked it up and read it and just stated, "It is soooo sad." It may be more appropriate for older children, but I think the cover might send them away thinking it is too baby...more
Dec 31, 2011
Judy Desetti
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
counselors, teachers, anyone who has experienced death
Shelves:
cancer,
picture-book-older
Lovely! Sad. Compelling.
I picked this one up randomly from the new book shelf. I thought it would be about a scar. Something universal to all kids. I was wrong. The first sentence:"Mom died this morning" tipped me off that this was going to be much different. It is a thoughtful book; heart wrenching, but tender. The boy learns to cope with this profound loss.
It is not a book to pick up and read to a large group of kids. I loved this book. I think anyone who has dealt with death will appreciate...more
I picked this one up randomly from the new book shelf. I thought it would be about a scar. Something universal to all kids. I was wrong. The first sentence:"Mom died this morning" tipped me off that this was going to be much different. It is a thoughtful book; heart wrenching, but tender. The boy learns to cope with this profound loss.
It is not a book to pick up and read to a large group of kids. I loved this book. I think anyone who has dealt with death will appreciate...more
I have to say, I wasn't prepared for the emotional intensity of The Scar when it was read to me by one of the students I tutor. I won't rehash the plot because it has been talked about in other reviews and can be found elsewhere on this page. The main thing I do want to stress about this book is that while it is very sad, the story is written in a way that is very real and authentic which is important given the delicate subject matter covered in this book.
The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic tells the story of a young boy trying to grieve, adapt, and accept the death of his mother. Told with such straight forward, simple gestures and emotion from anger to tears, this book will make your heart ache.
“I’m trying not to forget what Mom smells like, but it’s fading, so I close all the windows so that it won’t get out.”
An important, powerful, and emotional book for any family’s book collection to spur discussion and perhaps hope and healing.
3/4/12
“I’m trying not to forget what Mom smells like, but it’s fading, so I close all the windows so that it won’t get out.”
An important, powerful, and emotional book for any family’s book collection to spur discussion and perhaps hope and healing.
3/4/12
4 likes · like · see review
Perhaps it is because I read this right after A Monster Calls, but I found the voice in this not-so-simple picture book to be equally as powerful and memorable. Imagine a book talk group for those who had read both titles: character evolution, loss and grieving (and its stages), not to mention the role of grandmas in our lives.A Monster Calls
This book opening line is, "Mom died this morning." From that point on the changes in this boys life as he faces the new reality if life without his mom drew me in. The grief in this book is palpable. Stirring illustrations engage the reader throughout.
I'm thinking of four kids who have lost or will most likely lose parents this year. I may regretfully have to share this book with them, but hope in some small way it will help them cope.
I'm thinking of four kids who have lost or will most likely lose parents this year. I may regretfully have to share this book with them, but hope in some small way it will help them cope.
Beautiful, deeply moving book about a young boy dealing with grief after his mother dies. I don't personally know much about young children and grieving but this just feels completely right: his anger, his concern for his father, his fear of forgetting his mother. And the way things very gradually start to not be quite as terrible. I would definitely recommend this to a family dealing with the death of a loved one.
It seems strange to say that I really liked a picture book about a boy who is grieving for his mother, but this was very well done. This short book shows the gamut of emotions that a young child might feel after the death of a parent: confusion, anger, sadness, fear, comfort. The illustrations are poignant even in their simplicity. A very lovely book to share with a child who has just lost a parent.
It's not that the text or the advice is so very striking, but the combination of the art and the little boy's emotions just got me. Very good book. And to think, I displayed it because the cover was visually appealing.
**Warning: First line of the book is "Mom died this morning." Not a story for anyone already sad. I was nearly crying at work.
**Warning: First line of the book is "Mom died this morning." Not a story for anyone already sad. I was nearly crying at work.
Poignant tale of the grieving process told through the voice of a young boy. A simple narrative combines with simple illustrations to give voice to all the uncertainty, anger and sadness that come with the death of a loved one. A touching book for children who have lost a parent.
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Charlotte Moundlic is the art director at Père Castor and the author of several French books for young readers. She lives in Paris.
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Jan 15, 2012 06:23am
Jan 17, 2012 11:00am