Saturdays Are For Stella is written by former teacher Candy Wellins and illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan.
The fun cover immediately made me snatch it up.
George loves spending his Saturdays with his Grandma Stella. They have a blast hanging out together.
The author and illustrator nailed their relationship!
Now when I turned the page, it was obvious what happened next.
Ugh. I almost closed the book thinking I didn't want to read this to my first graders. Death and dying books are always a tough call.
But, let me tell you, this is truly amazing and the author/illustrator managed to perfectly balance grief with hope and joy. Kudos to them!
Kids will see Geroge's grief in relatable ways. They'll nod when he decides he hates Saturdays.
But then...
And I'll leave the last few pages for you to discover on your own.
It really is such a lovely book. It moved me. The joy shines through.
When would I read it? Honestly, I think I'd read this early in the year when we're talking about our families.
Would also be a fantasic book to revisit privately with a student who is grieving.
But to be clear, there is no need to try to fit Saturdays Are For Stella into any unit. An excellent book ALWAYS deserves to be read on any given day.
It evoked strong feelings of my own grandparents, and to be quite honest, my parents who have passed.
But it makes me feel all sorts of good inside. A gentle reminder that my parents and grandparents are still here in my own kids and a part of them will be a part of generations to come.
Is this a book I'd purchase or get from the library?
Oh this is a must-have for me.
Enjoy!
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