*An Amazon #1 New Release

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Every year on All Soul's Day, Mara and her grandparents visit homes in their neighborhood to bring comfort and a song to those mourning the death of a loved one. But this year, Mara and Nene have lost Popi. As Nene leads Mara through their yearly ritual, Mara compares her own grief to that of each neighbor they visit. Then she catches sight of the frozen tears on Nene's face.

Setting aside the bitterness icing her heart to help her beloved grandmother, Mara rekindles Popi's song and brings her community together to honor him.

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Popi's All Souls Song is a poignant, timeless story with luminous art, drawing readers into the realization that no person's loss or grief is bigger or more important than anyone else's. And when we bring comfort to others, we experience comfort ourselves.

Backmatter includes an author's note with a brief history of the All Soul's Day holiday and traditions associated with the day.

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Reviews

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School Library Journal:

K-Gr 2–In this touching story, a young girl learns that she will be comforted by helping others. Losing a loved one is difficult. Many Christians commemorate those who have passed on All Souls Day, which falls on November 2. That is what Mara and her grandparents Popi and NeNe do. On that day, they walk from house to house and sing to neighbors who have lost loved ones. But this year is different because Mara’s Popi passed away. It’s difficult for Mara to comprehend, but her grandmother tells her Popi would want them to do this. They sing to neighbors who have lost people or pets. As Mara sees the tears and pain on NeNe’s face, she understands how much her grandmother misses her husband and realizes that she can help her grandmother make it through this tough day. The illustrations start the story with a cold feeling, but by the end, they are a bit warmer and lighter. 

 

VERDICT A good book to have on hand in the library or classroom.–Barbara Spiri

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Kirkus Reviews: 

A child learns to keep her late grandfather’s tradition alive.

Accompanied by her dog, young Mara grows up singing with her grandfather (Popi) and grandmother (Nene) every year for All Souls’ Day, a celebration of the departed. When Popi dies, Mara expects Nene to focus on him, not on the other deaths that still are remembered in their neighborhood. “Popi would want us to continue his tradition since others suffer, too,” Nene tells Mara. Mara tries to understand as they walk through the snow, from home to home, singing to neighbors. The child’s frustration mounts as they serenade families who have lost pets (“I love animals too, but what about Popi?”) and a father who lost his son in the war (“He died five years ago. Popi died this year”). “It is not for us to judge whose loss is the greatest,” Nene tells Mara. When Mara realizes that her grandmother’s effort is taking a toll, she goes off on her own, recruiting members of the community to come together and sing Popi’s song for Nene. Though tinged with melancholy, this story of the legacy that the departed leave the living is threaded with tenderness and hope. Swann relies on deeply saturated purple and blue hues, with airy swirls filled with musical notes expressing Popi’s song. Mara and her family are brown-skinned; their community is diverse.

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A heartfelt expression of love in the face of grief. (information on All Souls’ Day)