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The Long Silk Strand: A Grandmother's Legacy to Her Granddaughter
- By Laura E. Williams
- Genre: Family Life
Common Sense Media says
Lovely tale addresses questions about death.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this book may prompt questions or a discussion about death.
What's the story?
A Chinese girl, longing to connect to her deceased grandmother, climbs a thread to the afterlife to learn what is or isn't there. Children everywhere wonder what happens to dead relatives, and this picture book succeeds as a book about death, as a story of trust and bravery, and as a stunning work of paper art.
Is it any good?
This cultural tale answers universal questions about death and the importance of life. Yasuyo climbs into the clouds, where she finds her grandmother. Standing above and looking down on her family, Yasuyo realizes the importance of her life with them, and her grandmother reaffirms the power of living. She doesn't tell her granddaughter what to do, but she does help her make her decision to return to the world of the living. The symbol of the threads tied together to reflect Grandma's life is beautiful and adds concreteness to the abstract concepts.
Illustrator Grayce Bochak is brilliant at choosing unusual angles for her scenes. In her cut-paper pictures, she makes ordinary life look heaven-like, and the cool pinks and greens of the color scheme create just the right tone to match Williams' pacing and otherworldly scenarios.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how Yasuyo's relationship with her grandmother. Why does Yasuyo travel to see her? Why does she decide to return to the world of the living and leave her grandmother?
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| Author: | Laura E. Williams |
| Illustrator: | Grayce Bochak |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Family Life |
| Publisher: | Boyds Mills Press |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1995 |
| Number of pages: | 28 |
| Paperback price: | $7.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 4 - 7 |
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