Granny Left Me a Rocket Ship

by Heather Smith, Ashley Barron (Illustrator)

From award-winning author Heather Smith, a heartwarming, moving story about loss - and remembering. When Granny dies, a young child and their family have a hole in their hearts. They find it helps them fill it to remember her through the things she left behind. To the father, she left a tuba, and to the mother, a locket. To the sister, she left a microscope, and to the brother, a record collection. To the main character, though, Granny left something a world of adventure, that they visit with their memories. Through imaginative play with items that belonged to Granny, the child travels near and far. And Granny is right beside them, along for the ride. Using spare prose, award-winning author Heather Smith’s beautiful story about loss, grief and memories presents an honest yet optimistic view of how to joyfully remember loved ones after they’re gone. Ashley Barron’s layered cut-paper collage illustrations bring fun to the story, while colorfully capturing the feel of a child’s imagination in flight. This book provides a gentle, thoughtful entryway into a conversation with children - or adults - about losing a loved one, and how to hold them close. It’s a wonderful resource for focusing on social-emotional learning, and an excellent representation for a character education lesson on resilience.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Grief, Fiction, Family, Death

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2023

About the author

Originally from Newfoundland, Heather Smith now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her Newfoundland roots inspire much of her writing.

Reviews

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you loose someone, you always tend tpo remember those with the things they left behing. Strings that were attached, remain so forever. There is no moving on. This story is about a complete family, each member specifically for how they remember their loved one who's no more with them. But to talk about our protaginist, a boy, who got an adventure trip in the form of a rocket-ship left by his granny gave him an emotional but equivalent adventurous imaginative travel gift.
Reminding me of my Grandfather, this is not just about the things we realise we had, left by our loved ones, but mostly about the feelings that we have and keep, that we must always be thoughtful for family and equally sensible. This picture with fine illustrations showed meaning to life and importance of having loved ones in our lives.

My NetGalley review

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I know that this is going to be one of the most underrated storybooks when it comes out.

Why?!

It has unique artwork and unique style of presentation.

It deals with loss and grief especially someone much younger when they lose their grandmother.

But I know that their memories stay much more longer with us than the things they leave behind.

I can relate so much when the kid in the story is reliving his grandmother’s memories with the stories they used to read together and the stories they told each other.

I love it. I appreciate the unique artstyle so much.

Thank you, Kids Can Press, for the advance reading copy.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Granny died, she left me a world of adventure that I can take with me wherever I go.

Losing a grandparent can be a painful time for any family. This book for young children will bring healing thru remembering. Remembering our loved ones is what keeps them on living. It also helps for all to face death without fear but in love. Love casts out all fear.

A special thank you to Kids Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[MissSusie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another wonderful picture book about grief. This one is all the things grandma left you. I hope my own grandkids look back on our memories together as this kid does with his grandma!
I also thought the art work was really neat it's like 3-D paper art.

Add this book to your collection development list!

4 stars

I received this book from the publisher Kids Can Press and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granny Left Me a Rocket Ship is a sweet, gentle book about a boy who lost his grandmother. There is a hole in his family's lives but memories of her help to fill it. They remember her in different ways, one of which is by the things she left behind. Each family member received something special that belonged to Granny. The narrator got some unusual and extraordinary items from her, all things that he imagines the two of them sharing. He received a tent, a horse, a fishing pole, a knight's sword, a rocket ship, and more. Granny left him a "world of adventure" he could take wherever he went. Heather Smith has written a charming, imaginative story. Ashley Barron's cut-paper collage illustrations add much to the book, showing the boy and his grandmother sharing many activities and enjoying each other's company. How long will it take you and your child to spot Granny's true gift to her grandson? It is in each of the pictures! This book is an excellent teaching tool for a child who has lost someone close to them but a fun, sweet book for everyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for this ARC.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, kudos for the eye-catching title. This is a story about a family whose young members may be mourning the loss of their gran, but the narrator can remember her through being imaginative and thinking of him and her battling sea monsters, flying around on a broomstick together and, er, having a trip in her spaceship. But this raises the problem, surely, of what kind of grandma you have. If she just sits around smoking her way through forty fags a day and watching "Strictly Come Dancing" with the sound turned to max, then you won't gain any of that fantasia from her and what you inherit. So this clearly should come not only as much of a reassurance to a grieving junior generation, but also a kick up the jacksie of the older, demanding they pass on a wilful love of adventure and invention. And books. But I wouldn't necessarily include this one in that demand – it didn't seem to get to do what it wanted to do as well as it should.

[Anita Salát · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am at a loss of what to write about this picture book. I am not a fan of the visual world, and have issues with the logic of the story too.

The topic of grief is a tricky one, especially if you need to discuss it with children. The main character of this book had many adventures with his now deceased grandmother. He says that this is what she left for him as a gift. Which is nice but this looks as if his grandma spent time only with him and noone else in the family. She must have had many nice and adventurous memories with other family members, which means she left this sort of gift to them too. I know it's nit-picking but this turns the logic of the book upside down to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for an Advance Review Copy.

[RainyDayReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death and loss can be hard to talk about with kids, especially very young ones. We aren't always sure how much or what to say to make them feel loved. "Granny Left Me a Rocket Ship" is a wonderful conversation starter and aid in these kinds of conversations about death or loss of any kind.

It follows a little boy as his family talks about what items are left to them by their grandmother. The art is vivid and colorful, but also cozy, which adds to the comforting mood. As the family member describes the item, the reader gets a glimpse of memories associated with their loved one who passed. The theme is clear that while our loved one may be physically gone, they will always live in our fond memories.


(Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet children's book tells the story of a child whose family is grieving the loss of his grandmother. The story explores the many imaginary ideas and adventures the child has with his granny even though she is no longer with him. The illustrations and artwork are really neat and I could see exploring that with my class in art as well as looking at the themes within the story. I would definitely recommend this book for teachers and parents of children in the age 3-8 range, especially those dealing with loss. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Kids Can Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's book tackles the heavy topic of death and grieving the loss of someone in a gentle and heart-warming way, by showing that memories remain, even when that person is gone. Good as an introduction into a serious topic, but IMO would certainly need an adult to be on hand to address issues like not-so-good memories.
The collage illustrations are fantastic, each page is a work of art.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about remembering your elders by what they leave when they pass. Things like lockets or musical instruments. For our main character, they are left a tent that leads to a lifetime of adventures both with and without grandma. Overall, this is an interesting book but the story is a tad lacking. Is it the tent that leaves the umbrella and the rocket ship or were those the toys that were inside of the tent.?

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book about dealing with the death of a loved one. Really shows thru illustrations and story how younger kids can use their imaginations and memories with the passed family member to deal with their grief.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy has wonderful memories of imagined adventures with his grandmother. The opening illustration is a crayon drawing and the rest are cut paper. I like the imaginative illustrations because they fit with the story about using your imagination.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I read a digital reader's copy courtesy of the publisher
When grandmother dies, everyone has their ways to remember her: with pictures, music, stories, and the items she left for them. The storyteller was left a world of wonder. This book may comfort those grieving the loss of a relative.

[Children's Literature Centre at FSU · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moving story about how the loss of a loved one can lead us to take on new adventures. This is a short story about the things people leave behind and how these items may be used to impact those they were left to.

[Elizabeth Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great story for helping children through the death of a loved one through memories! The illustrations are creative and add to the story.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good exploration of death, memories and time spent together.

[Aolund · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures in this book are really the standout feature. A touching story about imagination and the gifts a grandma who has died left behind for each of her family members.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

i good book about honoring a grandparent's memory and using your imagination.

[Susan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly gorgeous paper cut collage illustrations. A true work of art.

[Alexis Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got me. I knew by the title it was going to be sad, however it was a beautiful story about a boy missing his late grandmother. However, I do not think I would read this to my class because it might upset or worry some of them.