grief

Interview Alert: Jackie Morera

Please welcome debut picture book author Jackie Morera to Frog on a Blog! You may know that today is Memorial Day, the perfect day to talk to Jackie about Abuelo’s Flower Shop because her lovely book, which officially comes out on June 4, 2024, from Beaming Books, highlights grief and sadness and how people remember loved ones they have lost. Abuelo’s Flower Shop is also multigenerational, starring a young girl and her grandfather, and bilingual, featuring a mix of English and Spanish text.

Abuelo’s Flower Shop is especially touching to me because I worked as a floral designer in my father-in-law’s flower shop for 10 years, and I know firsthand how special flowers are and how comforting they can be. Let’s hear more from Jackie about her writing life and her book!

Congratulations on the publication of your debut picture book Abuelo’s Flower Shop! Tell us a little about the story and what inspired it.

JM: Thank you! Abuelo’s Flower Shop is a story about a young girl who, while working alongside her abuelo in his flower shop, discovers the heartbreaking truth about the garden across the way and learns how their flowers help send a very special message to those in need.

The book is loosely inspired by my own experience. Like Elena’s abuelo, my grandparents sold flowers from the street in front of their Miami home, which sat catty-cornered from a cemetery. However, the heart of Abuelo’s Flower Shop—discovering the truth about the garden across the street—is entirely Elena’s story. That came from asking myself “what if?” What if I had paid closer attention when I was younger? What if my grandfather and I had that conversation? How might that have played out? And so, a story was born.

Jackie Morera’s grandfather with some of his flowers

What message do you hope kids will take away from the story?

JM: I hope they’ll walk away from the story with the confidence to ask questions, even (and maybe especially) when it may be uncomfortable to do so. Elena’s story is largely one about understanding loss and empathizing with those who are grieving, but, at its core, it’s about a little girl who asks “why?”

How long have you wanted to be a writer, and what influenced your love for books and writing?

JM: For as long as I can remember, I have always loved storytelling. I was fortunate to grow up in a home filled with books and with parents who encouraged reading, writing, and creativity. Some of my earliest memories are of my dad folding sheets of paper down into little booklets for me to write my own stories in, which he would pair with his illustrations. Later on, when we bought our first video camera, I would spend entire weekends writing and recording plays in my room. I carried that passion with me through the rest of my schooling and even into college where I briefly studied English Literature and Creative Writing. Of course, life takes you a roundabout way to accomplishing your goals sometimes, and ambitions change, but I’m happy I found my way back to my first true love.

You also write young adult novels. How do you switch your writer’s brain between writing for teens and writing picture books?

JM: It’s funny you ask because writing picture books happened sort of by accident for me. Young adult novels were my first love, as far as writing is concerned, so those are what I wrote almost exclusively for many years. Until, one day, I found myself sleep-deprived, nursing my (at the time) infant son, and suffering from the worst case of writer’s block I’d ever experienced. I was desperate to get back to writing and, in taking stock of what sparked inspiration, dove into studying the newest additions to our bookshelves—picture books! My first attempt at writing a picture book manuscript of my own was meant to be a creative exercise and nothing more, so switching my writer’s brain from writing for teens to writing picture books was a welcome change. Now, it does take a little more effort to toggle between the two, but I find I still turn to my picture book manuscripts as an escape. I would say the easy answer is that I’m able to switch my writer’s brain between writing for an older audience and writing for kids by letting my inner child run free on the page.

What were your first impressions of artist Deise Lino’s illustrations for Abuelo’s Flower Shop?

JM: Complete adoration! My immediate thought (well, once the crying subsided) was that she did a wonderful job of capturing the story exactly as I pictured it in my mind. Deise was quite far along in her illustration process when our publishing team shared her work with me, so it was almost like reading the entire story with the art at once. It was very special!

What are you working on now? More picture books?

JM: I’m currently in the editorial phase of a third (still unannounced) picture book that’s set to release in the Fall of 2026. I’m also tinkering with a few other picture book manuscripts, slowly drafting a second young adult novel, and outlining my first middle grade novel.

Thank you so much for having me on Frog on a Blog. It’s been a joy!

Jackie Morera is a Cuban-American author of books for young readers of all ages. Born and raised in Miami, Jackie lives in Central Florida with her husband, son, and goofy pup. She enjoys telling stories, savoring pastelitos, and cozying up for a good nap.

Her debut picture book, Abuelo’s Flower Shop, illustrated by Deise Lino and published by Beaming Books, hits shelves on June 4, 2024. Jackie’s sophomore picture book, Together We Remember, illustrated by Violeta Encarnacíon, is scheduled for a Summer 2025 release by publisher Make Me a World.

Connect with Jackie Morera online by visiting TikTok, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X @jmorerabooks, Goodreads or her website jmorerabooks.com.

My View Book Review: ALWAYS SISTERS by Saira Mir

Title: Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love

Author: Saira Mir

Illustrator: Shahrzad Maydani

Publisher/Year: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/2023

Favorite Line from the Book: She’s not here yet, but she’s already my little sunshine.

With so much heartbreaking news in the world right now, I was hesitant about posting this review because this book’s topic is, to put it simply, sad. But October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and, if just one person who has experienced the grief of pregnancy loss finds comfort and healing in the message shared by author Saira Mir and illustrator Shahrzad Maydani in the pages of Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love, then it’s worth spreading the word here on Frog on a Blog about such a powerful picture book.

Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love, published August 22, 2023, by Simon & Schuster, is about a little girl named Raya who can barely contain her excitement that she will soon have a baby sister. She knows that they will be best friends and have so much fun together running, playing, laughing, eating chocolate ice cream, and watching their favorite cartoons. Raya tells all her schoolmates about her baby sister, though she’s not yet born. She even says she doesn’t need a birthday gift this year because her little sister, whom she calls Nura, will be her gift. But happiness and anticipation soon turn to sadness and confusion when she’s told Nura won’t be coming after all. Raya learns to handle her grief through expressions of love for Nura, like drawing pictures, talking with her family and kids at school, and helping her parents plant a magnolia tree on the day that would have been Nura’s birthday, a tree that will help them all remember how Nura would have grown.

Shahrzad Maydani’s soft colored illustrations, rendered in chalk pastels and watercolors, have a hazy, dream-like, quality about them, almost as if the whole story is made of memories, which I think is a good choice for such a heavy topic.

Grief is universal, felt by everyone who loses a loved one, but young children often have a difficult time processing it. Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love can help kids manage such a weighty emotion in a sensitive way, especially if shared in a safe environment with family or counselors. In an author’s note at the end of the book, Saira Mir speaks about her and her family’s own experience with the loss of a baby. She says, “Talking about sad feelings isn’t easy, but sharing what’s in your heart can help you feel better.”

“Picture Books for Grieving Families” by Jayne Pillemer

Today is Children’s Grief Awareness Day, which is more than just a day, it’s a movement dedicated to helping support grieving children. (For more information and ways that you can help, click HERE.)

One way that we can all help grieving children is by reading comforting picture books with them, which brings me to today’s guest.

Please welcome Jayne Pillemer to Frog on a Blog! Jayne turned from editing children’s books to writing them! Her touching debut picture book Still Mine, featuring soft and lovely illustrations by Sheryl Murray, came out earlier this year from HarperCollins. Congratulations, Jayne! Still Mine introduces the topic of death in a gentle and sensitive way. Jayne’s stopped by to tell us more about her book and share her top recommended picture books for grieving families.

Let’s hear from Jayne.

Grief is incredibility difficult for anyone to navigate, young or old. Helping your child process death and work through grief may feel even more overwhelming. There can be a lot of questions that you may or may not feel you know the answer to. Sometimes, a loss just puts us at a loss for words, and we don’t know what to say or how to say it.

Books can give us adults the words, to help us open conversations with our children in a natural way.  For the child, books are an equally important resource. They give children the opportunity to see their circumstances and emotions reflected back to them and help them gain deeper understanding of what they may be feeling, thinking or seeing. For children experiencing grief for the first time, books can help them to realize that they are not alone. 

My picture book, STILL MINE, was created out of a need to tell my own young children about the death of my grandmother. I wanted to gently introduce the concept of death, and my way to do that was to juxtapose loss with something that gets to stay: Love. I knew the way I felt about my grandmother would never change, and that the special activities we did together would be memories I would not only hold in my heart forever, but would also be things I could share with my children. STILL MINE depicts several kinds of losses—a parent, a grandparent, and a friend—and carries hope for the peace that can come by embracing the permanence of love. These other picture books honor the journey of grief and support this same message that love never goes away:

One Wave at a Time by Holly Thompson, Pictures by Ashley Crowley

This beautiful story follows a boy in the wake of his father’s death and delves deeper into the emotions that come with grief: sadness, madness, fear, and hollowness. These tough feelings come in big waves, and Kai doesn’t always know which wave will tumble him. With the help of a support group, his family, and memories, Kai and his family learn together how to ride these waves as they roll in. A gentle author’s note and grief support resources round out the backmatter.

Ida, Always by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

This gorgeously illustrated book introduces us to two adorable best friends: Ida and Gus, who live in a city zoo. Their days would not be complete without playing with one another, but one day, Ida gets sick, and the zookeeper tells Gus that Ida will die soon. Together, Ida and Gus go on a journey of preparing to be apart. “There were growling days and laughing days and days that mixed them up.” If sickness is something you are experiencing or loss is something you are preparing for, this moving story reminds us that you don’t have to see love to feel it. 

Saturdays are for Stella by Candy Wellins, illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan

Saturdays are the best days because George spends them with Grandma Stella. But when Grandma Stella suddenly dies, George doesn’t want there to be any more Saturdays. Ever. Just when George thinks he can’t take another Saturday, his sister Stella is born, and suddenly Saturdays with Stella have renewed meaning. This touching story is a beautiful way to remember that you have the power to give love, just as you once received it, and that can be healing in so many ways.

The Treasure Box by Dave Keane and Rahele Jomepour Bell

Grandpa and his granddaughter love to look for treasures. On their weekly walks, they discover all sorts of interesting things and store them in a secret box. When Grandpa gets sick, he can’t go on anymore walks, so his granddaughter brings the treasures to him. But when Grandpa dies, the girl is too sad to open the secret treasure box. It takes a long time for Grandma to come back over, but when she does, hugging and crying together help them both. So does looking for treasures that Grandpa would love. A poignant text and rich, textured illustrations make for a beautiful package and a tender story.

Molly’s Rosebush by Janice Cohn, illustrated by Gail Owens

This is an older title that can still be found at your local library or second-hand. Molly’s mother has a late-term miscarriage, and the whole family is grieving the baby that they wanted to come home. When I experienced pregnancy loss, this book was a favorite of my two older children, and inspired us to plant our own memory tree in our backyard, just like Molly’s family planted a rosebush in honor of their baby. While most books for young children deal with the death of a pet or a grandparent, this book addresses the loss of someone you are only looking forward to meeting, which is a different kind of love that is just as powerful as a love for someone you’ve already gotten to know. This book will hold a special place on our bookshelf forever, just as our tree does in our backyard.

A Kids Book About Death by Taryn Schuelke

A Kids Book About Grief by Brennan C. Wood, in partnership with Dougy Center

As a kid growing up, it felt like there were “child topics” and there were “adult topics,” and anything perceived to be an adult topic wasn’t usually discussed with kids. The A Kids Book About collection is changing that. My oldest son in particular has TONS of questions about everything and anything, especially about big words that he overhears. When I don’t know the right way to answer, I look for A Kids Book About. These books have been incredibly helpful in providing developmentally-appropriate (ages 5+) definitions and explanations on everything from Adoption to Boredom to Sexual Abuse. Reading these books has led to rich discussions and have opened the lines of communication between parent and child because these books tell children that we are allowed to talk about hard things. A Kids Book About Death clearly and directly explains what it means to be alive and what it means to be dead. It explores the various ways to die and the feelings that may come with it. It addresses why it is important to talk about death, why life is important, and how love is an element of life that continues even after death. A Kids Book About Grief is an excellent follow-up to this title, diving deeper into the emotions that arise following a death and reassuring readers that grief is normal. Just a note: the books in this series have no pictures, but the words are truly all you need! 

Jayne Pillemer is a former children’s book editor who now spends her days raising her children and writing! Her debut picture book, STILL MINE, was inspired by her Grandma Helen’s special love and was called “tender and touching” by Kirkus Reviews. Jayne lives in Harrison, New York with her husband and their three sons, who all love it when she makes Grandma Helen’s old recipes.