I Can't Believe They're Gone

A total gem of a book. Excellently addressing the idea of loss and grief in a way that will help children and young people understand and feel seen by. Although I teach high school children, I still feel as though this will be a helpful resource and often children respond better to material like this when facing difficult or uncertain circumstances - speaks very much to the inner child.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC. I intend to purchase a copy of this book to use in my school setting.

I Can't Believe They're Gone by Karen Brough is a wonderful picture book about grief that will help children of all ages to deal with the big emotions that accompany the loss of a loved one.

We learn that the Mouse family has suffered a devastating loss. It is up to Bear to talk them through as they process their feelings, and to make sense of the emotions that surface.

Children will learn how to handle grief and the feelings of overwhelming sadness, while also learning how to keep their loved ones near in their hearts. There are valuable lessons here for readers of all ages, and for anyone who has experienced loss. The charming illustrations are exquisite. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC.

Sweet book that reinforces such an important lesson. Big feelings are in the end just feelings, and we should recognize them and feel them but they don't define us. This is an especially great lesson for such young readers, and the cute animal pictures help soften the emotions. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I've always believed kids are never too young to learn about death and loss and I feel like this book would serve as an appropriate guide to helping kids feel their emotions freely once they encounter such a loss.

A good, short read! Definitely one I'd own a physical copy of.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an opportunity to read this.

Any parent dealing with a loss in the family, this is the book to get your little ones. It was just absolutely darling and so gentle with just a big topic. My four kids loved this story. I think this would be a great book to gift in that situation as well

This picture book is one of the best books out there on grief. Perfectly pictured and dealt with with care, this proves to be an lovely and tender book. The prose is slightly clunky and on the nose at times but it is negligible.
4.5 stars

An absolutely beautiful dive into the stages of grief, the way they feel, and the way they may look. This story follows the grief of an entire family, further illustrating that all of us may be at a different stage of grieving, despite experiencing the event at the same time.

I really loved this book. It was kind of heavy, since it's about grief. But the way they did it was really good! It's such a nice way to teach children about the different emotions that you can get. The importance of those emotions and how to deal with grief. It's so hard and difficult, but this is such a good and also kinda cute way. In my opinion the author did really well. It was also enjoyable.

A poignant story of grief, palatable for the little mind of a child.

“You know...emotions aren't good or bad, or right or wrong- they just are.”

Now why did these little mice have me tearing up?! 😭 Oh my goodness this is the type of books that I want to read to my niece and nephew. It was SO GOOD!

I really liked the watercolor illustrations by Hiruni Kariyawasam. I feel like they solemn scene nicely. Almost like tears on the page, as these characters work through their muddied emotions.

On a personal note we lost my grandfather last year, (my nieces great grandfather) and going through the motions of trying to explain to her how were never going to see "Pop" again was tough. It's been almost 9 months and she still struggles with it.

I wish I had thought to provided her a book like this when we were going through it. Although the grief these little mice are dealing with is not exactly the same as the situation we went through, the emotions are. The feelings are unfortunately so relatable.

I liked that we went through hope each family member was reacting to this death. All again very relatable. Grief is a very fickle beast, that effects us all differently. I like that this highlights all facets of this, no one greater than the other. (I do have to say though tiny mouse stole my heart 😭. I was crying from page one over that little guy 💙).

Thank you Karen Brough for this beautiful story, and thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this. I would absolute recommend this to anyone I know with kids. Something great to read before or after loosing a love one. Unfortunately we should all prepare with books with these.

This book is much needed! I have actually been looking for a children's book that highlights grief and emotion! And this one was done beautifully! Illustrations were perfect.

Synopsis: The mouse family has lost someone dear to them, and they all have different ways of dealing with their grief.

Favourite Scene:
Text - When the family comes together for dinner the first time, and then the final scene.
Illustration - The flower garden scene outside the mouse house.

Enjoyment Rating: FOUR STARS
All the contrasting emotions and responses were interesting and heart-felt.

Weak Points: The bear was a valuable character, but I think it could have been a stronger story without the refrain. As valuable as that message is, the point was better made by seeing how each mouse responds so differently and is still accepted and validated (saving the refrain for a single time at the end might have worked too.)

Ponder Rating: THREE STARS
It was a touching story, but the ‘ponder’ value felt compromised by the repetition of the bear’s refrain.

Conclusion: A valuable story that I would read to my kids and recommend to others.

***Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review***

The illustrations in this, (watercolor, as far as I can tell) are GORGEOUS: Honestly, I'd purchase this just for those. I'm a sucker for water colors. :)

That aside: "I Can't Believe They're Gone" centers on a family of mice who have just the loss of one or more (???) loved one(s), and are gradually moving through the grieving process. Each member, from Mumma Mouse to Tiny Mouse, experiences grief in a wholly different shape, and in varying "stages," much like the stages of grief. Each mouse asks the Wise Bear why they feel the way they do, and in that said emotion is explained.

I thought the prose was touching, the illustrations hopeful, and overall the book is an excellent resource for young children.

That being said: there were some parts that as a Mom I don't think a kid under say, ten would be able to understand, like when Tiny Mouse asks why he feels "numb:" what small child would be able to articulate that emotion/lack thereof? I think it would've been served better if Brough had used, "I feel nothing" or, "I don't have feelings right now," or another word/phrase that to an adult would seem unnecessary, but with young children essential. My Little One doesn't mince words when he's describing something, and will go to great lengths to convey a thought or tell us about his day. That said, I DID appreciate that Brough said that Small Mouse had BIG feelings in her heart, which is, (ironically) the best way to describe intense emotions to your kids I think.

Definitely an excellent resource for helping little ones navigate the icy waters of grief.

Five stars.

This is such an emotional book, exploring grief and how we cope with loss in very different ways. It helps you understand that all feelings are normal, no matter how you experience them. I honestly love this book so much and wish I had something like it when I was growing up. Although it focuses on losing someone close, its messages can apply to many different situations in life. I truly believe this is the perfect children's book, with a powerful message that resonates with all ages.

"Emotions aren't good or bad, right or wrong, they just are."

This was a beautifully written and illustrated book about grief and loss. It is a great way to remind people of all ages, that the way you grieve is the right way for yourself. Some people try and take their minds off of it, while other people might create art and express the way they feel in many different ways. This book is comforting for all ages, but especially for those who are very young and need help navigating their emotions. I wish I had something like this currently in my classroom. I know this would be so helpful to have for children who are grieving and don't understand what that means.

This is a beautiful look at how people handle grief different ways. This will be so helpful for children and should be offered in libraries everywhere.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

A super cute take on a very difficult topic to navigate with children. Emotions in general can be tough for kiddos to fully understand, and losing a loved one brings with it so many hard emotions that are so important for parents to work with their child to identify them and learn to work through them. This story does a great job of putting those feelings into a way that is digestible for young children and will go along way to helping children prepare and work through grief in their life. This story also did a good job of showing how everyone grieves differently. Of course, these are all concepts that children will learn more about as they get older, but setting the groundwork is so important. And as wise old bear says "emotions aren't good or bad, or right or wrong - they just are."

This book was heart warming. I wanted to review this for my nieces , my brother recently passed away and I wanted a book to send them that help them process the grief of their father.

The characters each grieved in their own way. I loved how the author showed that emotions are okay to have and there is no right way to process death.

I also appreciate the prayer aspect of this book.

I will definitely be buying my nieces a copy.

Grief at the loss of someone loved is felt in many ways. Mumma, Papa, Big mouse, Small mouse, and Tiny mouse each has their own feelings and one at a time they go to Wise Old Bear who teaches that "Emotions aren't good or bad, or right or wrong-- they just are." Then each of them finds a constructive way of coping and remembering the now absent loved one. Not just for children.
The illustrations by Hiruni Kariyawasam are clear, easily recognizable, meaningful, and colorful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to EVERYONE, but especially to a school, hospital, or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC on Adobe Digital Editions from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!

The 7 stages of grief but with a mouse family. Each of them go through grief by their own way.

Your feelings are good and valide. Do what feels good to you

I can see myself using this book with my children to discuss the loss of a loved one if needed. I love how it's touched on stages of grief and how grief can look differently. It was wonderful how throughout the story it normalized feelings. "You know... Emotions aren't good or bad, or right or wrong- they just are." This would be a great conversation starter.