“Letters to My Grandfather is written with deep respect for children’s abundant curiosity as well as their needs for comfort, connection, and communication. All of these are vital to their emotional lives and well-being. Joanna Maneckji spins her story out of our deep- seated need, at any age, to investigate loss and connection. She understands children’s powers of imagination as well as their desire to make sense of the events in their lives and their role in their families. In the process, she touches on the realm of dreams, which in turn becomes a place that a child can imagine without fear.

There are many gently offered gifts in this richly imagined and vividly illustrated story. The little boy in the illustrations is always held safe within a balance of comfort and curiosity. His mother is respectful of his desire to understand “with her help and on my own” both the loss of, and his enduring connection to, his grandfather.

The magical quality of the illustrations allows the reader to see the process of growth and change in the child as the letters take on different forms. This transformation is one of the gifts of the book. As a therapist working with children and families, I am always in search of such gifts to share at difficult moments. Letters to My Grandfather is exactly what children need during a season of loss; they will return to this compelling tale often to nurture a sense of connection. ”

•  Jane Ferris Richardson is an art therapist, play therapist and professor of art therapy at Lesley University.