"MacLachlan ( Wondrous Rex ) creates deeply sympathetic characters in a few sentences, and invites readers to share in the lives of a family nurtured by the natural world--and comforted by it in their grief."-- Publishers Weekly , Starred Review "This poignant, tender tale, economically told, brims with love and kindness, not to mention respect--for elders and for nature--and is sure to evoke empathy among readers and listeners. Kids who've lost close family members may feel reassured that memories of their loved ones will persist in a sweet manner. The gentle, textured illustrations, created with watercolors, pastels, and pencil, are lovely, depicting the various birds named herein with colorful majesty. Warm, calming, affectionate, quietly soaring." -- Kirkus Reviews , Starred Review "[A] reflection on life and love. Sheban's soft-edged, textured illustrations . add a calm pleasantness to the story.
The resulting tale is a gentle one of love and sadness, but it also contains hope that another, possibly better, life exists after death." --Booklist "Text and illustrations interplay beautifully, as in the quiet image of a sad Milo being hugged when he discovers that Grandfather has gone. A sensitive portrayal of family, love, life, and death presented in a child- friendly manner. " -- The Horn Book "Sheban's impressionistic watercolor and pastel illustrations ably capture MacLachlan's contemplative mood; rendering characters and their environment in the same textures underscores the family's shared identification as part of rather than apart from nature . "-- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books " When Grandfather Flew is a moving and intimate book with an underlying sense of gravity. For anyone who's ever looked to the sky as they remembered someone they loved, it will be a story that resonates." -- BookPage "An elegant telling, combined with beautifully rendered illustrations create a naturalistic and positive glimpse of life and death. An excellent book to teach appreciation of our elders, as well as a study in grief and hope.
" --School Library Journal.