Michael Rosen's Sad Book

Name: Michael Rosen's Sad Book
Author: Michael Rosen
ISBN: 9780744598988

by Michael Rosen

Ages 9–13 Reading age 9 Picture book Set in everyday life movingthoughtful

A father writes plainly about being sad after his son died, what it feels like, and the small things he does about it.

A story about a grown-up hero and families, moving and thoughtful in tone. We would put it with children of 9–13, and at a reading age of about 9 for reading alone.

Worth knowing before you buy

A death or grief

None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.

Our take on this book

Michael Rosen writes, very plainly and directly to the reader, about being sad after the death of his son Eddie — what the sadness feels like, the face he puts on to hide it, the small rituals he uses to get through, and the days it swallows completely. Illustrated with Quentin Blake's extraordinary, restrained pictures, it is a picture book in form but not really only for the young: it is one of the few books that talks about grief and depression honestly, without a tidy resolution or a false comfort, and it names bereavement as the raw thing it is. That honesty is its gift; it can be a lifeline to a grieving child and a way in to a subject most books avoid. It needs a caring adult alongside, and suits an older child of nine upward, or a younger one who has suffered a loss. Handled with care, it is a profound and consoling book, and quietly reassures the sad reader that they are not alone in feeling this way.