Abschied von Opa Elefant

by Isabel Abedi

Grandpa Elephant knows that it is his time to go to the elephant graveyard, and so he begins his farewell to his grandchildren. The young elephants are confused, but they soon realize that although there is sadness, the mystery of death holds countless possibilities. Maybe Grandpa Elephant will go to heaven and walk on clouds, or maybe he will come back to earth in a new form. Even he does not know. Though the little elephants will never see Grandpa Elephant again, they learn that he will live on in their thoughts and dreams. 
Helping children deal with the loss of a loved one can be difficult, but Farewell, Grandpa Elephant can make it easier to explain what is happening in terms that they will understand. Through the elephants’ eyes, children learn that even though they will never see a beloved face again, there is the certainty of preservation through their memory.

Genres: Picture Books, Death, Childrens, Africa, Animals, Spirituality

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Isabel Abedi machte ein Filmpraktikum in Los Angeles und war in ihrem ersten Berufsleben Werbetexterin, bevor sie begann, Bücher von Kindern und Jugendlichen zu schreiben. Mittlerweile ist sie eine der bekanntesten Kinder- und Jugendbuchautorinnen Deutschlands. Ihre Romane wurden in viele Sprachen übersetzt und vielfach ausgezeichnet, „Whisper“ u.a. von der Jugendjury des Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreises. Ihre erfolgreiche Kinderbuchreihe Lola rankt sich um die Lebenswelt eines Mädchens, das Tochter einer deutschen Mutter und eines afrobrasilianischen Vaters ist. Seit einigen Jahren arbeitet Isabel Abedi auch als Übersetzerin und setzt sich mit Herzblut für interkulturelle Schreibprojekte und Vielfalt in der Kinder- und Jugendbuchbranche ein. Sie wohnt mit ihrer Lebensgefährtin in Hamburg und ist deutsch-iranischer Herkunft.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the saddest children's picture book ever!
But I do feel it's important to introduce the concept of death as much as we present the concept the new born with subtlety in this manner. I really appreciate the author and illustrator and those whoever are involved in bringing out this precious book. Things are discussed as to what happens to us after death in a very humane way. And the various beliefs and thoughts regarding death are represented good as well. But the good thing is that the book is not sad and grey as it's meant to be. This has been written really well-balanced. The only thing I didn't like was the same old dialogues of ending up in heaven if we do something good or in hell if we do something bad. But the way such beliefs and ideas are represented is so cleverly done as such things came from the baby elephants but what made the whole book work is the way how the grandpa reacted towards such comments and explained things like a mature being. Love it!

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death is a difficult subject to talk with your children about. This book does a perfect job of talking about death from the point of view of many different beliefs: reincarnation, heaven and hell, nothingness, the spirit realm. If you are a parent that would like to have your children be open to the possibility of not knowing exactly were it is we all go after we die,(since it is an unknown, having never spoken to someone who has died than come back) this is the perfect book for you. However, if you are of a particular faith and wish to inform your child only of your religious beliefs, you might want to read this book first before sharing with them.

[Daniel Hojan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Farewell, Grandpa Elephant: A Picture Book Story about Death
Author: Isabel Adebi
Reading Level: 2
Book Level: 3
Summary: Grandpa Elephant visits his grandchildren with the news that he is heading to the Elephant Graveyard and will not see them again. This leads to a discussion amongst the children of what they believe happens when an elephant dies, with Grandpa stating that death is a mystery to everyone, but that they will see him again in their dreams and in their thoughts. After a final moment with the children, Grandpa Elephant heads towards the Elephant Graveyard and into the unknown.
Genre: Picture Book
Mentor Writing Traits:
Ideas: This book is written in a way that allows children to understand the concept of death and what it means to have a relative die. This is a valuable book to allow for students to read both independently and as a class, especially if a child loses someone important to them. Death, even for adults, can be a difficult subject to discuss, but this book serves as an excellent way to let students explore their own feelings and thoughts about death. One aspect that is appreciable is that the book offers several ideas about what happens when we die favoring no one idea in particular, which allows for students of differing faiths to appreciate the book, though it does not go into every religion's view.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book for families to share with children when they want them to better understand and talk about death, probably when they experience the death of a loved one. Certainly, reading this would create conversation. I liked the effort to express the idea of multiple viewpoints on what death is without providing a definitive answer. Sometimes a book like this is the root easier way to broach a difficult subject that families need to discuss.

[Helen (pagesandpeaches) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this made me cryyyy
this art is so prettyyyy
i love elephants 🐘😭

[Yolonda Kelsor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and Easy to Understand

This is a beautiful and easy to understand book on death that helps a child better understand. I would recommend it.

[Christine Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for your inner child too

I wish I had this book as a kid. A lovely way to discuss one of the most difficult topics, death, with sweet illustrations and a lot of warmth.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. It touched on different belief systems, but didn’t really say much about them.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars, checked out from Reedsburg Public Library in WI; week 3 of ABCJesusLovesMe online curriculum for toddlers (Animal of the week is Elephant)

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were nice. The purpose of the book was stated to be a way to teach children about death. The grandpa elephant goes to tell all of his grandchildren good bye. He tells them he will be going to the elephant grave yard. The children wonder what grandpa will do when he is gone. They imagine what it will be like in Heaven, and hell, and what form the grandpa might take if he came back to earth in a different form. They ask grandpa what will happen to all of his stories. He tells them they should tell their grandchildren when they have them.

[Katie Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book addresses a very difficult topic with young children: death. This book does this very eloquently. The reader can learn through this book how to accept death and learn how to move on with life. I would recommend this book to all of my students.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for kids. It touches on death, heaven, hell, and reincarnation and does so in a manner that is a light introduction for kids. I was tearing up by the end of this book.

[David Etkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever exploration of beliefs about death--heaven and hell, reincarnation, return to the earth. Living on through memories and stories.

[Mollie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tears! So many different interpretations of what happens after death.