From Publishers Weekly
Barron's (The Lost Years of Merlin) debut picture book, which the flap copy describes as autobiographical, offers a humanist response to death and grieving. On the day that Grandpa dies, a boy listens as his sister, brother and parents share memories of this generous, dynamic man. But he can't bring himself to join in, despite his own fond memories of spending time with Grandpa in the tree house Grandpa had built overlooking the Rockies. At last, the boy asks, "Can anybody tell me... Where is Grandpa now?" Fumbling for a definition of heaven, the father concludes, "Maybe you could say that heaven is any place where people who love each other have shared some time together." Kids may need some help fleshing out this concept, even as the child recalls the wonderful spots he and Grandpa had visited together. Thinking of his grandfather "in all of those places" frees the boy to return to them and, presumably, to carry on with a life that Grandpa has greatly enriched. Depicting stagily lit daytime scenes, electrically hued sunsets and starry nights, Soentpiet's (More Than Anything Else) watercolor tableaux amplify--and perhaps exaggerate--both the natural theater of the majestic mountain setting and the human drama of Barron's graceful story. A useful springboard for dialogue between bereaved adults and children. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-A gentle story of a young boy's grief when his beloved grandfather dies. His family talks about their positive memories of him-adventures shared, a funny Halloween incident, and how easy he was to talk to. However, the narrator cannot verbalize his memories until his father answers such questions as "Where is Grandpa now?" or "Where is heaven?" Struggling with his own grief, his dad tries to answer as truthfully as he can. He explains that "-heaven is any place where people who love each other have shared some time together." The story is set against a backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains. At first, the watercolor paintings seem to glow with a very bright "liquid light" (a phrase of Grandpa's), but that brightness gradually softens to more soothing colors as the family contemplates the man's death. After Dad answers the child's questions, the colors lighten again, suggesting the coming resolution of their grief. A helpful introduction to death and the grieving process.Virginia Golodetz, Children's Literature New England, Burlington, VT Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Barron's young adult novels often use magic and the supernatural as a way of explaining and demanding respect for nature. In this touching story, Barron uses nature as a way of helping to explain the life cycle. When a young boy's grandfather dies, his family shares stories and memories of him. Grandpa loved nature, and during hikes to waterfalls and climbing expeditions, he taught this love to his family. The boy is unsure of where his grandfather is now, so his father explains: he is "in heaven--any place where people who love each other have shared some time together." The boy decides that for Grandpa, heaven is the world of nature they shared. Enriched by vibrant plays of light and color, the illustrations of mountains, waterfalls, and trees are stunning. Because of the questions the story raises about death and religious teachings, this may be a choice best shared with parents. Marta Segal
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


From Kirkus Reviews
Barron (The Seven Songs of Merlin, 1997, etc.) makes a heartfelt tribute to a deceased loved one in his picture-book debut, which is given stirring visual expression in Soentpiet's dazzling, crystal-clear mountain landscapes. Out on the porch, the young narrator remains silent while each family member shares a fond memory of Grandpa, then asks the title question. After an uncomfortable pause, his father responds that Grandpa is in heaven, which is, among other things, ``any place where people who love each other have shared some time together.'' Lit by a glorious sunset, Soentpiet's photorealistic figures stand in grave reflection before sweeping mountain vistas, with interposed remembered scenes to lighten the somber mood. Although the father's definition of heaven is vague, not to mention agnostic, both he and his son find comfort in it, as some bereaved young readers may. Pair this with Douglas Wood's recent Granddad's Prayers of the Earth (p. 1750) or Elizabeth Hathorn's Grandma's Shoes (1994). (Picture book. 6-8) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


December 1999
"The universality of the response to the child's query of 'Where Is Grandpa?' makes this book appropriate for people of all belief systems. The staff within our hospice program has found this to be a most valuable aid in helping children understand and find peace in the loss of a loved one. I only wish that such a book had been available when my children were struggling with the death of their dear grandmother." -Connie Holden, Executive Director Hospice of Boulder County


Robert Coles, M.D. Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Children of Crisis and The Spiritual Life of Children.
Here is a poignant, touching, and spiritually evocative tale. I heartily recommend it to families everywhere.


Book Description
Where is Grandpa? That question haunts a young boy on the day his grandpa dies. Grandpa has been so richly present, so many places--at the tree house, at the waterfall, at the door ready to carve pumpkins. It's hard to imagine life without him. Yet now he seems very far away indeed. As the boy remembers Grandpa with his family, he discovers a surprising answer: Grandpa, perhaps, is closer to home than anyone ever realized. In this deeply moving tale, the poetic words of T.A. Barron and the luminous illustrations of Chris K. Soentpiet remind us all that a family's sorrow can be shared-and that even in the greatest loss, love can still be found.


Card catalog description
As his family reminisces after his beloved grandfather's death, a boy realizes that his grandfather is still with him in all the special places they shared.


From the Author
For me, writing is exploring. Whether it's the surprising connections among people, the wondrous patterns of nature, or the mysterious wellsprings of the spirit--the universe beckons. I love to explore it, whether by foot or by pen. Writing is both the most joyous--and most agonizing--labor I know. And it is by far the best way to travel--in our world or any other. Ever since my youth on a ranch in Colorado, I've felt passionate about nature--and about writing. I wrote and published my own magazine as a kid, called the Idiot's Odyssey, which sold about five copies an issue (including the ones my parents bought). I kept writing during my college years at Princeton, and during my years at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. During that time at Oxford, I composed stories and poems while hiking in the Scottish highlands, while sitting beneath the boughs of an English oak I named Merlin's tree, while backpacking through Asia, Africa, and the Arctic; and while participating in a traditional roof thatching in Japan. Even during my years managing a fast-growing business in New York City, I often rose before dawn to write. Finally, I followed my dream to write full time. In 1990, I moved back to Colorado and started writing in the attic of my home, with the help of my wife and our five young children. I am currently writing a five-book epic about the youth of Merlin. This story gives me a chance to add a new dimension to the rich lore about this enduring figure. Why am I spending almost a decade writing about Merlin? Because he is much, much more than a great wizard. His story is, in truth, a metaphor-for the idea that all of us, no matter how weak or confused, have a magical person down inside-waiting to be discovered. If you would like more information about the epic or my other books, please visit my official tabarron website. You may have already seen my novels, which include Heartlight, The Ancient One,The Merlin Effect, and The Lost Years of Merlin, a five-book epic that Lloyd Alexander called "brilliant...an intense and profoundly spiritual adventure." You may also have seen my nature books including To Walk In Wilderness. Where is Grandpa?, is my first completely autobiographical tale, and also my first picture book for children. Along with my words, it contains the luminous painting of the acclaimed illustrator Chris K. Soentpiet.


Excerpted from Where Is Grandpa by T. A. Barron and Chris K. Soentpiet. Copyright © 1999. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
"Maybe you could say," Dad replied, "that heaven is any place where people who love each other have shared some time together." I thought about that idea. "You mean... like up there at the waterfall? And by that old pine tree? And maybe even in my tree house?" He said nothing. I leaned closer. "Heaven is in all of those places?" He nodded. "So Grandpa is in all
of those places?"
A new look came over Dad's face, and he almost smiled. I thought about Grandpa in all of those places. And I almost smiled, too. I know it might be all right now to climb the old cottonwood. To stretch my arms. To stretch my eyes all the way to the Never Summer range of the Rockies. To see as far as I can possibly see. Copyright (c) Thomas A. Barron 1998.

ANNOTATION

As his family reminisces after his beloved grandfather's death, a boy realizes that his grandfather is still with him in all the special places they shared.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Grandpa dies, the whole family grieves, and his youngest grandson can't imagine life without him. Everyone has fond memories of Grandpa. His granddaughter talks about hiking the canyon with him, and his grandsons remember Grandpa climbing up to the tree house and carving pumpkins in the kitchen. But where is Grandpa now? The youngest boy thinks he knows. Grandpa is still close by, a part of all the people and places he loved.

"Here is a poignant, touching, and spiritually evocative tale. I heartily recommend it to families everywhere." (Robert Coles, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Spiritual Lives of Children)

"Barron makes a heartfelt tribute to a deceased loved one in his picture-book debut, which is given stirring visual expression in Soentpiet's dazzling, crystal-clear mountain landscapes." (Kirkus Reviews)

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Barron's (The Lost Years of Merlin) debut picture book, which the flap copy describes as autobiographical, offers a humanist response to death and grieving. On the day that Grandpa dies, a boy listens as his sister, brother and parents share memories of this generous, dynamic man. But he can't bring himself to join in, despite his own fond memories of spending time with Grandpa in the tree house Grandpa had built overlooking the Rockies. At last, the boy asks, "Can anybody tell me... Where is Grandpa now?" Fumbling for a definition of heaven, the father concludes, "Maybe you could say that heaven is any place where people who love each other have shared some time together." Kids may need some help fleshing out this concept, even as the child recalls the wonderful spots he and Grandpa had visited together. Thinking of his grandfather "in all of those places" frees the boy to return to them and, presumably, to carry on with a life that Grandpa has greatly enriched. Depicting stagily lit daytime scenes, electrically hued sunsets and starry nights, Soentpiet's (More Than Anything Else) watercolor tableaux amplify--and perhaps exaggerate--both the natural theater of the majestic mountain setting and the human drama of Barron's graceful story. A useful springboard for dialogue between bereaved adults and children. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Children's Literature - Judy Silverman

The day Grandpa dies, the two brothers and sister try to help their father face his father's death. The mother begins by remembering the day she met him, and how comfortable she was with him. The older children take turns talking about Grandpa, remembering the good times, until it's the young narrator's turn. He doesn't really feel like talking, and claims not to remember the wonderful things he and Grandpa did together. What he wants to know is, "Where is Grandpa now?" The father says "heaven," but that's not quite enough for the child. He needs a more detailed explanation, and somehow the father manages to overcome his own grief and give a lovely description of "any place where people who love each other have shared some time together." The child lists all the places he and Grandpa have been, and concludes that yes, that's a good idea. The father and son almost smile, and begin to heal. A touching story, with beautiful illustrations, appropriate for any family. No religious restrictions apply. A gentle way to help a family remember a dearly loved grandfather.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Here is a poignant, touching, and spiritually evocative tale. I heartily recommend it to families everywhere.  — (Robert Coles, M.D., Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Children in Crisis)