“My Dream with Grandpa” by Carol Suchecki is now available for purchase
Author Reputation Press is delighted to publish this delightful and beautiful book, which explores the beauty of remembering our loved ones. There are now copies of ” My Dream with Grandpa” available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARP website.
For 25 years, Carol Suchecki has been a preschool teacher. She frequently receives requests from families who are grieving a death in the family as a preschool teacher. It is frequently the family’s first experience, and most likely the child’s first experience as well. When this happens, she takes books on death and dying out of her library and lends them to the family, so they have something to read.
Enid Hickmon, a great artist educated in the classical tradition specific to the pre-Raphaelite era, drew the illustrations for the book. She pursued a career teaching fine art to kids, teens, and adults at Mission: Renaissance Fine Art School in Los Angeles for many years after receiving formal training as an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She received additional guidance from renowned artist and Mission: Renaissance Fine Art School founder Larry Gluck during this period as a fine art instructor. She strengthened her foundation as a representational fine artist with classical training under his direction.
“My Dream with Grandpa” addresses: What is a funeral? Why is everyone so sad? And will we ever see our loved ones again? It is written from the perspective and experiences of a four-year-old child. The question, “Will we ever see Grandpa again?” has a dream as its resolution. Any faith or point of view can understand this experience as a useful key to the challenge.
The book is now available for purchase via our bookstore: https://authorreputationpress.com/products/my-dream-with-grandpa.
This book by Carol Suchecki, would be an ideal teaching tool for grieving parents and their children, as well educators. It presents a beautiful and belief – neutral way of thinking about a loved one who has passed, in the present tense, where the child’s perspective is preserved and validated. It’s a highly relatable way to present the concept of celebrating the life energy of a loved one as remembered and cherished, instead of extinguished and lost. A positive safe space for a child to embrace the complex emotions they share with family, as emotional growth, without anything lost in the translation of that life-affirming lesson.
When parents are grieving, often a child’s grief can be overlooked. Unprocessed grief may be carried for many years. My Dream with Grandpa can be used as a wonderful tool to draw out a child’s feelings about death and grief. Reading this beautifully written and illustrated book with your child, will allow you to bring up those subjects in a gentle and natural way. By discussing, My Dream with Grandpa, with your child, you will be able to draw out your child’s feelings, questions, and beliefs about death, loss, and grief.
What a wonderful book for opening conversation about loss and death in a natural and unassuming way. This book has a simplicity which gently opens the door to sharing feelings on a profound subject we all have in common and hesitate to address. Kudo to Carol for seeing this need and finding such a warm and kind way to fill it.
What a wonderful book! The story line is simple and clear and moves along in a nice gradual pace, not
too slow, not too fast. The young child will be delighted in mind and of heart-a truly memory enhancer.
And the pictures, simply colorful with a touch of intimacy. Hey, I should know–I am a grandpa.
Even I, an ancient, with my use by date competing with my desire for ‘more please Sir’ – found comfort and joy in this charming little book!
My 88 year old brother has recently slid off his perch and he has a huge family full of beautiful great great grandchildren who I know will benefit greatly from reading this, hopefully on my knee.
Love never dies and I imagine all my great great nieces and nephews will, after reading this, be searching their dreams for signs from Pa.
In glorious living colour!