Where Are You, Eddie?
Michael Rosen author Gill Smith illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Walker Books Ltd
Published:12th Mar '26
Should be back in stock very soon
From the author of Michael Rosen’s Sad Book comes a moving story of loss and acceptance.
Michael’s son Eddie has died. But does that mean he has really gone?
Michael decides to go and look for him. Visiting the places they went together and speaking to his friends and siblings, he discovers how Eddie is alive in their memories. Eddie is still here.
Simply told, and with emotional honesty by the former Children’s Laureate about his own experience of losing his son Eddie, this is a vital book for children dealing with grief and loss, showing how a loved one can be kept with you through memories. Illustrated with warmth and sensitivity by acclaimed illustrator Gill Smith, and with an afterword by Michael Rosen.
Essentially, then, rather than a loss or an ending, this is a special way to keep a loved one forever close. This is a deeply profound book about grieving and remembering that will likely bring tears to your eyes, so make sure you have a box of tissues to hand. Your loved one has left things in the world as a message that says, I’m no longer visibly there but I will always be there for you, in your mind and your heart. Gill Smith captures sadness and happiness both, in her touching scenes of the special memories.
This is a book to share with all children not just those who may have lost a loved one.
Warm illustrations capture Michael’s thoughts as he finds Eddie through visiting places, meeting people and sharing memories of his son. These happy moments, shared experiences and reflections are sparked by the smallest, everyday activities, showing that those we love are with us and can help us cope with the loss of their physical presence. There is a real comfort in this and as Michael wanders round, ‘finding’ Eddie, readers are sure to chat about their personal experiences, giving voice to their own memories.
Deeply poignant and reassuring, ‘Where are you, Eddie?’ is a real treasure.
Michael Rosen's new book, gorgeously illustrated by Gill Smith, is an incredibly moving exploration of grief, loss, love and memory. Beginning with a conversation between Rosen and his cat Meg, the story follows his experience of losing his son Eddie, and examines how we might find our lost loved ones in the places we shared with them and in the people who knew them.
Rosen writes with remarkable sensitivity and humanity, and I know I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
This is a beautiful book that explores what happens when someone close to you dies and how their memory can live within us and the special moments we experience. I loved the idea of the cat bringing comfort. Sensitively covers a difficult topic. * NetGalley Reviewer *
A poignant and gorgeously illustrated picture book on grief for children 5-9, and for adults too seeking solace after loss. Highly recommended! * NetGalley Review
ISBN: 9781529522877
Dimensions: 272mm x 236mm x 8mm
Weight: 350g
32 pages