What do you think?
El jersey de mamá
Cuando mamá se fue, todo cambió para siempre. Echarla de menos es como sentir un nubarrón que te sigue a todas partes o como si estuvieses nadando en medio del mar y nunca pudieses alcanzar la orilla. ¿Cómo seguir adelante? Los recuerdos te ayudan y se parecen al jersey de mamá, porque puedes ponértelo y sentir su abrazo. Quizá su jersey sea una forma de mantenerla cerca.
28 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 15, 2019
I've read a lot of children's books on grief now and dealing with bereavement and each one tackles them with varying degrees of clarity and honesty. Some remain ambiguous - as if to sow a seed in the reader's mind which may germinate at a time when they are ready whilst others leave their hearts wide open: Mum's Jumper falls, quite sensitively, into the latter category.
Scenes in children's literature in which characters are in hospital often end with recovery but in Mum's Jumper this is not the case. Having left her mother with love, not knowing the danger of what might befall her, the young girl discovers the following day that her mum has 'gone'. Both daughter and father try to understand this loss (they do not 'come to terms with it') and emotional conflict. Both are surrounded by support but it is only through talking to each other, openly, that they begin to understand. After times passes, the young girl finds some solace in the wisdom of her father's words:
'Some people say that grief gets smaller over time. But Dad says it's a little more complicated than that. Dad says grief is like Mum's jumper. The jumper stays the same size, but I will eventually grow into it.'
As with those people who surround the girl throughout her life, care and support is important but something very different comes from those who have suffered similar experiences. In this case, Perkin's word-perfect understanding only goes to reiterate why literature, in the right hands, can help change lives but it can also show us that we are not alone.
Scenes in children's literature in which characters are in hospital often end with recovery but in Mum's Jumper this is not the case. Having left her mother with love, not knowing the danger of what might befall her, the young girl discovers the following day that her mum has 'gone'. Both daughter and father try to understand this loss (they do not 'come to terms with it') and emotional conflict. Both are surrounded by support but it is only through talking to each other, openly, that they begin to understand. After times passes, the young girl finds some solace in the wisdom of her father's words:
'Some people say that grief gets smaller over time. But Dad says it's a little more complicated than that. Dad says grief is like Mum's jumper. The jumper stays the same size, but I will eventually grow into it.'
As with those people who surround the girl throughout her life, care and support is important but something very different comes from those who have suffered similar experiences. In this case, Perkin's word-perfect understanding only goes to reiterate why literature, in the right hands, can help change lives but it can also show us that we are not alone.
March 11, 2019
Such a good book for grieving, would definitely be useful in the classroom!
February 20, 2019
I have the extreme pleasure of knowing Jayde, the author and illustrator of this book. But even without that connection, I can see this is a simple but heartwarming story about loss and grief with breathtaking illustrations.
March 11, 2019
A great book all about grief and losing someone
October 4, 2020
Mum's Jumper is a story of grief following the death of one's mother. This issue is dealt with varying degrees of clarity making the story suitable for a variety of ages. I particularly like how the author tackled the feelings of confusion the child is experiencing at the moment. As well as this, I greatly appreciated the comparison of the grief being experienced to the Mum's jumper - whereby the child develops not needing to wear the jumper everyday because she is able to feel her Mum in the world through a variety of experiences.
This analogy is particularly powerful in the Father's statement of how the grief will not grow smaller, rather the child will grow and the world will grow to better accommodate the grief she is experiencing.
This analogy is particularly powerful in the Father's statement of how the grief will not grow smaller, rather the child will grow and the world will grow to better accommodate the grief she is experiencing.
April 3, 2020
Richie’s Picks: MOM’S SWEATER by Jayde Perkin, Eerdmans, April 2020, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-8028-5544-2
“All things must pass
None of life’s strings can last
So, I must be on my way
And face another day”
-- George Harrison (1943-2001)
“The speed could make it feel unreal. A person who enjoyed dinner in Manhattan before attending a Broadway show exactly one month ago could today be sick, mourning a family member, out of a job, or all of the above.”
-- NYT, “Ex-Wife Sick. Daughter Sick. 3 Friends Dead. Everyone Knows Someone.” (4/2/2020)
“A dark space began to follow me around.
I found it hard to concentrate at school.
The sounds and voices around me were distant and floaty
My body ached, like I’d been swimming for days; how could I get to shore?
Dad told me this feeling is normal.
It’s called grief. He was swimming too. We were grieving together.
The teachers and my friends at school were all really kind…
so I couldn’t understand why I still felt so alone.
Sometimes I even felt angry that my friends had moms who picked them up from school.”
In recent days, I’ve been checking Facebook for updates on old high school friends back on Long Island. Just in one family, two sisters are now recovering from the coronavirus, one sister is in the hospital, and a brother with symptoms just tested positive. Their 90-year-old mother is sick too.
As I’m writing, there have been more than 7,000 coronavirus deaths in the US. By the time you read this, there will be hundreds or thousands more. Estimates of what is to come are mind-boggling and heartbreaking. There are going to be many young people needing help, coping with the loss of parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, or favorite celebrities.
MOM’S SWEATER is an excellent picture book addition to the bibliotherapeutic reads for young people who are coping with loss and grief, and for those who need to understand what their peers are going through.
After her mother has died of an illness, the main character in MOM’S SWEATER begins wearing her mother’s favorite sweater. At first, it actually smells like her mother. The sweater is quite large on her but we, nevertheless, see the girl engaging in her daily activities while wearing it.
Eventually, the girl’s dad washes the sweater, and the girl stops wearing it constantly. The father offers an analogy to explain the process:
“Dad says the grief is like Mom’s sweater. The sweater stays the same size, but I will eventually grow into it.”
There are many books out there for young people that deal with death and dying. The manner in which MOM’S SWEATER addresses the grieving process makes this one a valuable addition.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“All things must pass
None of life’s strings can last
So, I must be on my way
And face another day”
-- George Harrison (1943-2001)
“The speed could make it feel unreal. A person who enjoyed dinner in Manhattan before attending a Broadway show exactly one month ago could today be sick, mourning a family member, out of a job, or all of the above.”
-- NYT, “Ex-Wife Sick. Daughter Sick. 3 Friends Dead. Everyone Knows Someone.” (4/2/2020)
“A dark space began to follow me around.
I found it hard to concentrate at school.
The sounds and voices around me were distant and floaty
My body ached, like I’d been swimming for days; how could I get to shore?
Dad told me this feeling is normal.
It’s called grief. He was swimming too. We were grieving together.
The teachers and my friends at school were all really kind…
so I couldn’t understand why I still felt so alone.
Sometimes I even felt angry that my friends had moms who picked them up from school.”
In recent days, I’ve been checking Facebook for updates on old high school friends back on Long Island. Just in one family, two sisters are now recovering from the coronavirus, one sister is in the hospital, and a brother with symptoms just tested positive. Their 90-year-old mother is sick too.
As I’m writing, there have been more than 7,000 coronavirus deaths in the US. By the time you read this, there will be hundreds or thousands more. Estimates of what is to come are mind-boggling and heartbreaking. There are going to be many young people needing help, coping with the loss of parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, or favorite celebrities.
MOM’S SWEATER is an excellent picture book addition to the bibliotherapeutic reads for young people who are coping with loss and grief, and for those who need to understand what their peers are going through.
After her mother has died of an illness, the main character in MOM’S SWEATER begins wearing her mother’s favorite sweater. At first, it actually smells like her mother. The sweater is quite large on her but we, nevertheless, see the girl engaging in her daily activities while wearing it.
Eventually, the girl’s dad washes the sweater, and the girl stops wearing it constantly. The father offers an analogy to explain the process:
“Dad says the grief is like Mom’s sweater. The sweater stays the same size, but I will eventually grow into it.”
There are many books out there for young people that deal with death and dying. The manner in which MOM’S SWEATER addresses the grieving process makes this one a valuable addition.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
November 22, 2022
Aquest llibre ens parla del procés de dol pel qual passa una nena quan se li mor la seva mare.
És un llibre trist i emotiu, com no podria ser d'una altra manera, però a la vegada defuig d'excessos i artificis innecessaris, i això és el que, penso, el converteix en una petita joia del tot recomanable.
La nena, durant el dol, emprèn un viatge emocional que la portarà de la incredulitat inicial, a la confusió, passant per la ràbia, la buidor, la soledat, i finalment per la lenta, però reconfortant acceptació.
El jersei de la mare esdevé un element clau en la narració. Primerament, simbolitza la unió física que la nena necessita mantenir amb la mare un cop morta, i més tard representarà el primer pas cap a la superació de la pèrdua.
La mare de l'autora, va morir l'any 1996 i a partir d'aleshores, tal com Jayde Perkin explica, ha plasmat aquesta experiència en moltes de les seves obres, com "I'm not ready". Potser aquest fet és important a l'hora d'entendre l'honestedat des de la qual està escrita la història.
A més a més:
- M'encanta l'ús que @jaydeperkin fa del color per representar els diferents estats anímics de la protagonista.
- Com es representa el pare de la nena i el seu propi procés de superació.
- La mirada, des del punt de vista d'un infant, davant d'algunes convencions socials associades a la mort.
- Les flors al llarg de tot el conte i, el seu significat.
- M'ha recordat i molt, a "Història d'un jersei blau", una altra petita joia de Florencia Gattari i Albert Asensio, editat per Nandibú.
És un llibre trist i emotiu, com no podria ser d'una altra manera, però a la vegada defuig d'excessos i artificis innecessaris, i això és el que, penso, el converteix en una petita joia del tot recomanable.
La nena, durant el dol, emprèn un viatge emocional que la portarà de la incredulitat inicial, a la confusió, passant per la ràbia, la buidor, la soledat, i finalment per la lenta, però reconfortant acceptació.
El jersei de la mare esdevé un element clau en la narració. Primerament, simbolitza la unió física que la nena necessita mantenir amb la mare un cop morta, i més tard representarà el primer pas cap a la superació de la pèrdua.
La mare de l'autora, va morir l'any 1996 i a partir d'aleshores, tal com Jayde Perkin explica, ha plasmat aquesta experiència en moltes de les seves obres, com "I'm not ready". Potser aquest fet és important a l'hora d'entendre l'honestedat des de la qual està escrita la història.
A més a més:
- M'encanta l'ús que @jaydeperkin fa del color per representar els diferents estats anímics de la protagonista.
- Com es representa el pare de la nena i el seu propi procés de superació.
- La mirada, des del punt de vista d'un infant, davant d'algunes convencions socials associades a la mort.
- Les flors al llarg de tot el conte i, el seu significat.
- M'ha recordat i molt, a "Història d'un jersei blau", una altra petita joia de Florencia Gattari i Albert Asensio, editat per Nandibú.
January 21, 2021
Writing a children's book about death and grief is a tricky thing, but Jayde Perkin pulls it off beautifully. The story opens with a young girl and her father visiting her mother in the hospital and then receiving a call the next day that her mother has gone. "Gone where?" wonders the girl, and why did she leave behind her favorite things, like this red sweater? There is a funeral and flowers and cards, none of which comforts the girl. Then she puts on that red sweater and starts to feel a bit better. Her father explains grief to the girl, comparing it to the sweater, a thing that she will grow into eventually, but will never disappear. This is an accessible story that will provide comfort for many children and adults. The bold illustrations capture the tone perfectly.
September 19, 2022
Grief can be experienced in so many ways, but in author-illustrator Jayde Perkin’s Mom’s Sweater, a child feels all the emotions of grief, anger, loneliness, and depression and describes them in a concrete kid-friendly way. Grieving children will see themselves in this beautifully drawn story and understand that they are not alone in how they feel. The little girl who tells this story finds comfort in smelling, touching, and wearing her mother’s sweater and understands that though her sorrow may stay the same size, she and the world she knows will grow around it. (Was originally published in the United Kingdom as Mum's Jumper in 2019.)
September 21, 2022
A book about the loss of one of the most loved beings like your mother, about the feelings that arise in that situation and about the memories that will always be with us. A very delicate story with very beautiful illustrations.
Zure ama bezalako izaki maitatuenetako baten galerari buruzko liburua, egoera horretan sortzen diren sentimenduei buruzkoa eta beti egongo zaizkigun oroitzapenei buruzkoa. Oso istorio delikatua, oso ilustrazio politak dituena.
Un libro acerca de la pérdida de uno de los seres más queridos como es tu madre, de los sentimientos que surgen en esa situación y de los recuerdos que siempre nos acompañaran. Un relato muy delicado con unas ilustraciones muy bonitas.
Zure ama bezalako izaki maitatuenetako baten galerari buruzko liburua, egoera horretan sortzen diren sentimenduei buruzkoa eta beti egongo zaizkigun oroitzapenei buruzkoa. Oso istorio delikatua, oso ilustrazio politak dituena.
Un libro acerca de la pérdida de uno de los seres más queridos como es tu madre, de los sentimientos que surgen en esa situación y de los recuerdos que siempre nos acompañaran. Un relato muy delicado con unas ilustraciones muy bonitas.
May 8, 2025
Een hoopvol, eerlijk en integer prentenboek over een meisje dat haar moeder verliest aan een ziekte. Knap aan dit boek vind ik dat de tekst en de illustraties elkaar versterken en dat zowel de tekst als de illustraties tonen dat je mag rouwen op een unieke en persoonlijke manier, de manier die het best bij jou past. Sterk hoe het verhaal niet suggestief is maar ruimte laat voor het unieke rouwproces.
Toen ik de titel las, dacht ik al te weten waar de auteur met de trui naartoe wou (en had ik me al ingesteld op een te voorspelbaar boek) maar neen, ze heeft het zo mooi, fijngevoelig en ook verrassend uitgewerkt dat ik er tranen van in mijn ogen kreeg.
Echt een aanrader!
Toen ik de titel las, dacht ik al te weten waar de auteur met de trui naartoe wou (en had ik me al ingesteld op een te voorspelbaar boek) maar neen, ze heeft het zo mooi, fijngevoelig en ook verrassend uitgewerkt dat ik er tranen van in mijn ogen kreeg.
Echt een aanrader!
March 13, 2025
Moving from mutely passive experience to more articulate inward reflection, Jayde Perkin’s picturebook brilliantly captures the inarticulacy of loss for all ages in the oblique downward cast of her characters’ eyes, the very short sentences, and the expressive angularity of the deceptively simply-drawn figures. Outlines are at odds with washes of colour throughout the book as it shrewdly conjures the tension between what’s seen and what we feel when we’re grieving. Wise words at the narrative’s close should ensure classic status for this breathtaking book.
August 26, 2019
Dan: What an absolutely stunning book. It takes on the subject of bereavement in such a literal and honest way and the result is a necessarily sad but ultimately uplifting book on the journey of grief. I particularly liked the notion that grief doesn't shrink or lessen over time, but rather that everything else grows around it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2020
A beautiful, brave picture book that sensitively looks at loss and grief through the story of a young girl losing her mother.
Perkin's writes with a simple, yet delicate honesty, balanced with charming illustrations that offer a heartfelt visual depiction of the girls growth through grief.
Just unforgettable.
Perkin's writes with a simple, yet delicate honesty, balanced with charming illustrations that offer a heartfelt visual depiction of the girls growth through grief.
Just unforgettable.
December 2, 2020
A heartrending story about loss of a mother and what the child and father do to keep going and remember her by her sweater the girl chooses to wear and the kindness of friends and neighbors. From the child's p.o.v.
February 1, 2021
The language this book offers for grief, as well as the normalizing of common cultural experiences alongside grief is useful for kids and adults. “The grief may stay the same size. But my world will grow bigger around it.” Beautiful, hopeful, authentic.
June 20, 2021
Really beautifully done little picture book about what it's like to lose your mom, from a child's perspective.
The style is dreamlike and almost poetic, and just...you can feel the grief too.
I recommend it.
The style is dreamlike and almost poetic, and just...you can feel the grief too.
I recommend it.
October 18, 2023
This book is about the death of a parent and dealing with grief.
I didn’t realize that when I picked it up from the library, thinking it was a book a little more light hearted. That being said, beautifully written and gorgeous illustrations.
I didn’t realize that when I picked it up from the library, thinking it was a book a little more light hearted. That being said, beautifully written and gorgeous illustrations.
October 14, 2024
A great book on a tough topic. I definitely think it should be read to kids before/regardless of such a tragedy but feel it’s great that there is a book out there for children who recently lost their mom to relate to.
August 10, 2025
Gelezen in het Nederlands, geen zin gehad om nog meer toe te voegen aan Goodreads, haha. Dit was een mooi en emotioneel boek over verlies, ouders, rouw, en een hele mooie trui vol geur en herinnering. Ik vond het erg mooi geschreven en de illustraties waren geweldig.
November 7, 2019
A very emotional book, great for children coping with grief. A lovely well written story.
November 7, 2019
I think this book really puts nicely that actually grief usually stays around and doesn’t get smaller but eventually you learn to cope with it better and your life just grows around it
November 7, 2019
Beautiful way to show how someone may grieve
November 7, 2019
Beautiful book looking at grief in a very literal way. Ks2
November 8, 2019
A touching way to explore bereavement.
December 2, 2019
Very sad and well done
August 13, 2020
Good option for picture books about handling loss and grief.
October 30, 2020
A young girl whose mom has died finds comfort in her mom's sweater as well as some wise words from her dad. Well done.
March 11, 2021
A mothers sweater helps a little girl deal with grief after losing her mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2021
Some of the most beautiful illustrations and a very powerful and simple story about growth and grieving
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews