If All The World Were

[Umia]

This is a deeply moving story of the love between a little girl and her Grandad and the way she continues to keep him in her life after his death, through imagination and memory. She spends a year with him, passing through the seasons, then one day his chair is empty. This is such a beautifully illustrated and written book that shows how the little girl deals with her grief and finds comfort in her colourful memories of her grandad. This book acknowledges but doesn't dwell on sadness, instead it moves on to illustrate how the child can be proactive in coping with these difficult feelings. This book can be read in EYFS/KS1 classrooms to introduce pupils to the difficult idea of death and grieving and the importance of sharing our feelings.