GRIEF IS AN ELEPHANT

Multiple animal metaphors for grief.

A child is lying in bed when an elephant enters the room. That elephant is Grief, and it pushes down on the child, making it hard to breathe. No matter how much the child pushes back or yells, the elephant won’t budge, forcing the child to outrun her. Later, Grief returns as a deer, and no amount of hiding or wishing on good luck charms can prevent it from finding the child. But again, on next meeting, Grief has changed, this time into a fox. This manifestation doesn’t do much—she lets the child touch her soft body and just lies down to rest for a while. Then, Grief becomes a mouse with large ears—to listen to the child—until, finally, Grief is a firefly who, when gently released, rises up into the night sky. The child is left to remember. The main conceit of this book will not be enlightening for older readers but may provide accessible comfort for its intended younger readers. The symbolism loses some definition toward the end, when all the versions of Grief appear simultaneously, but perhaps that’s part of the metaphor, as grief comes and goes in waves of intensity. The illustrations are often blurred and indistinct, as if seen through water, although it’s unclear how that relates to the subject matter. The child has tan skin and straight black hair.

Tender ruminations on loss for the youngest readers.