The Memory Box: a Book about Grief - Joanna Rowland - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Joanna Rowland

ILLUSTRATOR: Thea Baker

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: September 26, 2017

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A beautiful picture book to help kids cope with grief. Simple narration that’s perfect for the age group. Nice illustrations as well. Recommended.

Grief on losing a loved one is an experience we would not want any child to go through, but it is an unavoidable part of life, and some children sadly face this sadness sooner than anticipated. This book can be one source of comfort to them in such times.

The text comes from the first-person point of view of a young girl, so it sounds like a personal narration. When children read it, the first-person POV will surely help them connect better with the feelings of grief and sadness.

To be clear, this book is not about understanding death. It is focussed only on the emotions felt after facing such a loss. The titular memory box is one method the narrator uses to cope with her feelings. It is a simple yet beautiful idea that helps honour the memory of the deceased while still moving on with life.

Two things made this book really stand out. One, the content is not religion-specific, so it can work for anyone regardless of their faith. Two, the book never specifies whom the girl is mourning. Thus the book can be used to deal with any loved one’s death, whether grandparent or parent or sibling or even a beloved pet.

I love how the book didn’t promise a smooth journey towards healing. Grief never takes a progressive path and there can be setbacks. The text highlights this as a natural path of the process – an essential and brilliant addition.

The content is written in simple prose that is poetic without being poetry. The tone is obviously a mix of melancholic and introspective, with a lot of rhetorical questions, wishful thinking, and anxious ponderings. It is a highly realistic representation of grief that will be relatable to children going through the same pain.

There’s a helpful Q&A section at the end for adults, along with a guide on how to make a memory box.

The only thing I would change about the book is the presence of balloons, even though I understand why the author has used them for the analogy of loss. I am in the anti-balloon camp as they are horrible for the environment and animals, so I wish they would be banned in children’s books and in reality.

The illustrations work perfectly for the content. The colouring is in muted pastels, offering the right level of sobriety to the emotions. At the same time, there are also teeny glimpses of joy in the artwork.

Overall, this book delivers beautifully on its aim. The text, the emotions, the approach towards handling loss, and the illustrations – all come together to create a helpful little package for little ones who might be struggling to understand their confused emotional state after a loved one passes away. The book would work perfectly for kids aged 4-8 years.

Definitely recommended, though I can only hope against hope that not many kids will need this book at such a young age.