Michael Rosen's Sad Book

Description

A heartbreakingly honest account of a father's grief for his son from the illustrious pairing of two former Children's Laureates. Very occasionally the term non-fiction has to stretch itself to accommodate a book that fits into no category at all. Michael Rosen's Sad Book is such a book. It chronicles Michael's grief at the death of his son Eddie from meningitis at the age of 19. A moving combination of sincerity and simplicity, it acknowledges that sadness is not always avoidable or reasonable and perfects the art of making complicated feelings plain. It wasn't made like any other book either; Michael Rosen said of the text, " I wrote it at a moment of extreme feeling and it went straight down onto the page ... Quentin didn't illustrate it, he 'realized' it. He turned the text into a book and as a result showed me back to myself. No writer could ask and get more than that." And Quentin Blake says that the picture of Michael "being sad but trying to look happy" is the most difficult drawing he's ever done... "a moving experience."

Michael Rosen is an eminent writer, broadcaster, poet, performer and received the Eleanor Farjeon Award for services to children's literature in 1997. In 2007 he became Children's Laureate. Quentin Blake was the very first Children's Laureate. One of the world's foremost illustrators, he has won numerous awards for his books and is most well-known for his work with Roald Dahl.

With emotional elegance and nuance, he welcomes and unpicks each layer of mourning and explains why it's ok to be sad. A painful, yet surprisingly uplifting read that's suitable for both children and adults. * The Independent * A beautifully illustrated read for adults and children about love and loss which explains why it's ok to be sad sometimes * Psychologies Magazine * If you read just one book to a child who has experienced the death of someone close to them it should be (this) * Daily Telegraph * Explains sadness and grief in a manner that children can comprehend * Gobblefunked * The beauty of this book is that the words and the pictures knit together so well. -- Tony Ross Important and astonishing . . . Blake's pictures are a triumph. They combine perfectly recognisable portraits of Rosen with expressionism, proving that Blake's seemingly spontaneous style is born out of practice and precision. Both the words and the images articulate strong emotion with admirable economy and convey a sense of the preciousness of life without being sentimental, platitudinous or falsely hopeful. At moments, the story is even funny. This valuable book is painful, but its honesty is surprisingly uplifting. It is a huge achievement by both author and illustrator. -- Nicolette Jones * The Sunday Times * An eloquent and affecting portrait of sadness, this book packs wisdom into very few words. * The Guardian, 'Picture Books on Prescription' * Featured in '20 Greatest Mental Health Books' in Happiful. * Happiful * One of the greatest books on grief for children, indeed, for anyone. * i News *