Grandad's Island by Benji Davies ( Candlewick Press and Simon & Schuster Children's UK)

In this gentle, magic-tinged allegory, Grandad lives in a small house back behind Syd's home. After opening a "big metal door" in Grandad's attic, the two are transported to the deck of a giant ocean liner, which towers over the neighboring buildings in their seaside town...As with The Storm Whale, Davies offers a story of loneliness and togetherness distinguished by understated, deeply felt emotions and a nautical milieu.

This book is innovative and useful as a way to talk about the idea of loss without ever referring to actual death. Parents and educators can use this to talk with a child about how it s normal to be sad and miss loved ones...Cheerful, brightly colored illustrations make this a fine choice to use with the youngest of audiences. Since death isn t directly specified, this title also works for when a child s loved one is moving far away. An excellent vehicle to gently approach the topic of loss. Recommended for collections needing these types of materials.

Syd has a very close relationship with his Grandad, whose house and garden back onto his own. On one of his regular visits, he finds Grandad in the attic. Grandad appears to be ready to make a journey and the pair set out on a voyage, entering onto the deck of a ship by passing through a large metal door that Syd has never noticed before. They spend a wonderful time together on a beautiful tropical island before Grandad reveals that he will be staying there and Syd has to make the journey home alone. A sensitive story about the loss of a loved one which is moving and uplifting at the same time. The illustrations make it unnecessary for the words to be explicit about what may be reality and what may be imagination. This is left to reader who can infer information from such detail as the depiction of Grandad’s belongings and mood from the brightness and colour of the island and the sombre shades of the rough sea which Syd must traverse to arrive home.