Emma's Question by Catherine Urdahl

Illustrated by Janine Dawson. 32 p., Charlesbridge, 2009.

When someone close is seriously ill, children may worry about whether the person will die. This is Emma's struggle when her Grandma becomes ill and is hospitalized just as she's scheduled to read to Emma's kindergarten class. Emma immediately wonders whether Grandma is dying, but can't bring herself to ask, even when Mama invites her to talk about Grandma. Emma's parents are sad, her classmate is insensitive, and she's so preoccupied that lots of little things go wrong. She misses the security of her routines with Grandma. When Emma is finally allowed to visit Grandma at the hospital, after several days, she can't help asking whether she's dying. Although Mama is aghast, Grandma is accepting, and tells Emma that she isn't going to die right away - "'Sometime ... But not now.'" With Grandma, Emma finds ways to adapt their routines during the hospitalization, and this helps restore Emma's sense of security and connection. Without giving false reassurance, this story offers hope, along with acceptance children's worries.

Ages: 5-8
Cultural Context: multicultural