MISSING MOMMY

Told from a young child’s point of view, Cobb’s moving story respectfully explores the complex emotions a little one may experience while grieving the loss of a parent.

On a rainy day, they said goodbye to Mommy. Unsure where she went, a small child searches for her under the bed, behind the couch, among the blades of grass. Some things are found—a purse, which brings a grief, raw and deep; a sweater-turned-lovey, which holds memory and reassurance. Emotions wash over the child: fear, anger, guilt, loneliness. Each is sensitively described and depicted, as the small child sits alone under a barren tree, stomps toy trains and tries—with tears—to fix past mistakes. What’s more, the strength of family, as they grapple with their shared grief, is tenderly illustrated. The artwork, done in a primary palette, skillfully emulates the innocence of a child’s drawings, and the compositions, with symbolic swaths of empty space, adeptly capture the child’s sense of loneliness. Appealing, effective and authentic, they perfectly illuminate the text, as the family finds solace, warmth and healing through the sharing of stories and memories.

Accessible and tender, this story gives young children a voice and shows how to hold the memory of a loved one close