So what’s in a picture book about a Grandma?
Ice cream? Check.
Just-because gifts? Check. Check.
Lots of hugs? Oh, for sure.
But there’s something else this grandparent book features—something you might not expect in a book targeted to preschoolers.
Death.
SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA, my debut picture book published today, tells the story of a boy named George and all the fun memories he makes with his Grandma Stella. Amazon just named it a Best Book of the Month for ages 3-5.
Interior spread from SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA.
Spoiler alert: Grandma Stella dies. Maybe it’s not so much of a spoiler given the nature of grandparent-grandchild relationships. It’s a given that grandparents are much older than their grandkids, and the death of a grandparent is something most people have to endure at some point.
And some people have to endure it as kids.
We like nice stories, but we live in a messy world. And by sharing sad stories with kids we teach them that being sad is OK. Being sad is normal. And being sad is something we all experience from time to time.
Interior spread from SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA.
My own grandmothers were a great influence on my childhood. I was an adult when I lost them in a span of two months when I was pregnant with my first child. I still grieved for them. From that point, I’ve always thought of my life as divided into two time periods—the time I had with my grandmas and the time I’ve had with my kids. I wish my grandmas could have met my kids. They would have loved each other.
I do my best to share their memories, photos and traditions with my kids. Every Christmas we bake Grandma Liz’s gingersnaps. Every sick day we watch “The Price Is Right,” just like Grandma Mickey did with me. I let my mushroom-hating kids know they got that from Grandma Mickey, and my youngest, who douses all her food in ketchup, is clearly from Grandma Liz’s stock.
In SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA, George grieves. For a long time. But he survives. He finds his reason to keep going and he finds a way to celebrate his Grandma and to continue enjoying her traditions.
The wound never fully heals, but the scars fade with time. So while it isn’t necessarily happily ever after, it is real. And that’s important for kids to see.
Giveaway:
For a chance to win a signed copy of SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA, head over to Twitter (@candy_wellins) or Instagram (@candywellins), where I’m running book giveaways this month.
Book Details
SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA
by Candy Wellins
Illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan
Pub Date: August 11
ISBN:
978-1-62414-921-4
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Candy Wellins had close relationships with both her grandmothers. She keeps their memories alive with her own three children. SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA, illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan (Page Street Kids) earned a Kirkus star and is her debut book. Her debut picture-book biography, THE STARS BECKONED: EDWARD WHITE’S AMAZING WALK IN SPACE, illustrated by Courtney Dawson, (Philomel) comes out in April 2021. Candy and her family make their home in central Texas. Visit her at candywellins.com.
