Grimes, Nikki. 2004. WHAT IS GOODBYE?. Ill. by Raul Colon.
New York: Hyperion. ISBN 0786807784.
What is goodbye?
Where is the good in it?
One leaves
and many hearts
are broken.
There must be
a better arithmetic
somewhere.
--Nikki Grimes, What is Goodbye?
Jerilyn and Jesse’s older brother, Jaron, has died. Told in poems alternating between the voices of sister and brother, this novel explores the feelings of those left behind – the disbelief, the sorrow, the anger, the guilt, the coping, and the eventual goodbye. Though trim in size and containing only sixty-four unnumbered pages, this novella in verse eloquently portrays the grieving process in a way that is heartfelt and genuine.
Nikki Grimes uses imagery and figurative language to give the voices of Jaron’s two siblings emotional impact. The poems are presented in twos, with each pair sharing a title, expressing viewpoints from both Jesse and Jerilyn. Jesse’s poems are told in rhyme, while older sister Jeri’s poems are expressed in free verse.
Mad -- Jerilyn Mad -- Jesse
With every step I take How could you die and
I slice my feet break your word to me?
on the jagged pieces You’re nothing but a
you’ve smashed lying little rat.
our family into. You left me, Jaron.
I hate you for that!
It is only after the anniversary of Jaron’s death that the family begins to heal. The book’s final poem, Photograph, is written for two voices to read together,
“Mom and Dad, Jesse and me,
a new kind of family, one piece missing,
but we’re whole again.”
Small, poignant vignettes by Raul Colon perfectly express the disjointed lives and strong emotions experienced by survivors as they try to understand and rebuild around the emptiness caused by the loss of their loved one. “Colón's paintings in muted colors combine imagism with realism to create an emotional dreamscape on nearly every page.” (School Library Journal, 2004)
Reviews and Awards
Booklist: “Moving and wise, these are poems that beautifully capture a family's heartache as well as the bewildering questions that death brings, and they reinforce the message in Grimes' warm author's note: 'There's no right or wrong way to feel when someone close to you dies'. "
Kirkus Reviews: “Grimes succeeds in creating distinct personalities for each member of the family and distinctly different ways of dealing with their grief as well.”
School Library Journal starred review: “Grimes' novella in verse is a prime example of how poetry and story can be combined to extend one another."
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2005
School Library Journal Best Books Of The Year, 2004
Connections
Class discussions - is there a right way or a wrong way to express grief? Is it okay not to express grief? How could reading this book help someone who has experienced loss?
Art projects – if you could draw a picture of ‘grief’, what would it look like?
Library – display books dealing with the subject of sorrow:
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, Michael Rosen
Behind You, Jacqueline Woodson
The Last Invisible Boy, Evan Kuhlman
Sun and Spoon, Kevin Henkes
I Wish I Could Hold Your Hand, Pat Palmer
Remembering Mrs. Rossi, Amy Hest
The One Left Behind, Willo Davis Roberts
What is goodbye?
Where is the good in it?
One leaves
and many hearts
are broken.
There must be
a better arithmetic
somewhere.
--Nikki Grimes, What is Goodbye?
Jerilyn and Jesse’s older brother, Jaron, has died. Told in poems alternating between the voices of sister and brother, this novel explores the feelings of those left behind – the disbelief, the sorrow, the anger, the guilt, the coping, and the eventual goodbye. Though trim in size and containing only sixty-four unnumbered pages, this novella in verse eloquently portrays the grieving process in a way that is heartfelt and genuine.
Nikki Grimes uses imagery and figurative language to give the voices of Jaron’s two siblings emotional impact. The poems are presented in twos, with each pair sharing a title, expressing viewpoints from both Jesse and Jerilyn. Jesse’s poems are told in rhyme, while older sister Jeri’s poems are expressed in free verse.
Mad -- Jerilyn Mad -- Jesse
With every step I take How could you die and
I slice my feet break your word to me?
on the jagged pieces You’re nothing but a
you’ve smashed lying little rat.
our family into. You left me, Jaron.
I hate you for that!
It is only after the anniversary of Jaron’s death that the family begins to heal. The book’s final poem, Photograph, is written for two voices to read together,
“Mom and Dad, Jesse and me,
a new kind of family, one piece missing,
but we’re whole again.”
Small, poignant vignettes by Raul Colon perfectly express the disjointed lives and strong emotions experienced by survivors as they try to understand and rebuild around the emptiness caused by the loss of their loved one. “Colón's paintings in muted colors combine imagism with realism to create an emotional dreamscape on nearly every page.” (School Library Journal, 2004)
Reviews and Awards
Booklist: “Moving and wise, these are poems that beautifully capture a family's heartache as well as the bewildering questions that death brings, and they reinforce the message in Grimes' warm author's note: 'There's no right or wrong way to feel when someone close to you dies'. "
Kirkus Reviews: “Grimes succeeds in creating distinct personalities for each member of the family and distinctly different ways of dealing with their grief as well.”
School Library Journal starred review: “Grimes' novella in verse is a prime example of how poetry and story can be combined to extend one another."
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2005
School Library Journal Best Books Of The Year, 2004
Connections
Class discussions - is there a right way or a wrong way to express grief? Is it okay not to express grief? How could reading this book help someone who has experienced loss?
Art projects – if you could draw a picture of ‘grief’, what would it look like?
Library – display books dealing with the subject of sorrow:
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, Michael Rosen
Behind You, Jacqueline Woodson
The Last Invisible Boy, Evan Kuhlman
Sun and Spoon, Kevin Henkes
I Wish I Could Hold Your Hand, Pat Palmer
Remembering Mrs. Rossi, Amy Hest
The One Left Behind, Willo Davis Roberts
No comments:
Post a Comment