The Hug Blanket

This is by far one of the best books for preschoolers and primary-aged children dealing with death and loss that I have come across in quite a while. Chris Gurney is open and honest about the realities of death: the funeral, the graveside and the changing emotions shown in the tears and laughter.

The book opens with a young girl and her brother Noah talking about their nana who lives at the beach, and how visits there have created memories of baking, playing and exploring the beach. Nana had made special hug blankets for all her family.

One day Dad tells the children that Nana has died suddenly. Months after the funeral, the family makes visits to the graveside and to Nana’s beach house. The girl wraps her blanket around herself, realising that Nana is hugging her with special memories and love.

Chris Gurney wrote it after her own mother passed away, as a way to commemorate the special bond between grandparents and their grandchildren.

This is a book that would be a great addition to any early childhood centre or early primary class, as well as being a great resource for any family dealing with grief. It validates the range of feelings in ‘kidspeak’: ‘leaky eyes’ and ‘chest ached’. Gurney uses senses throughout the story, helping children with identifying and verbalising emotions.

Lael Chisholm has used watercolours and the drawings are bright and beautiful, though I did find emotions were expressed more clearly through the words than the facials.

Scholastic has also made a te reo Māori edition available, Te Paraikete Tauawhi.

Title: The Hug Blanket

Author: Chris Gurney

Illustrator: Lael Chisholm

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN: 9781775436348

RRP: $19.99

Format: hardback

Publication: August 2020

Ages: 4-12

Reviewer: Nova Gibson, Library Manager, Massey Primary School, Auckland

How are you recommending this book? Highly Recommended

Opening sentence: Nana lived at the beach.

You can buy this book here