Without heavy messages, this lively, honest picture book confronts big questions many preschoolers are afraid to ask. When Emma's beloved grandmother gets sick and has to stay in the hospital, Emma gets in trouble at kindergarten and at home. Clear ink-and-watercolor illustrations show her tension building, with her friends at school, with Mama at home, and, in a climactic close-up, with Grandma at the hospital, where she is frightened by the tubes and bags taped to Grandma's arm. Grandma is frail, but she knows Emma has a question, which finally bursts out: "Are you going to die?" Grandma's answer is direct and reassuring: "Sometime . . . But not now." Then Grandma and Emma play Chutes and Ladders as they tease and talk with each other. Great for grief counseling, before and after a death in the family, this will help kids cope with loss and celebrate the lasting bond with someone they love. --Hazel Rochman

Emma's grandmother has become gravely ill and is hospitalized the night before she is scheduled to read to her granddaughter's kindergarten class. Emma is doubly disappointed because she and Grandma have bagels together in a restaurant every Wednesday and will have to miss a date. But, most of all, the girl is scared. She has a question that she's too afraid to ask. Her mother inquires if Emma wants to talk about her grandmother, but the five-year-old can't formulate the words. When she visits her in the hospital, Emma finally blurts out, "Are you going to die?" Though her mother is shocked by the question, Grandma's answer is frank and honest: "Not today. I have a Chutes and Ladders game to play." And, when her granddaughter presses the issue a bit, the woman concedes that it will happen "sometime, but not now." Large, bright pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoon illustrations help alleviate the sadness of the situation. This open-ended story offers a child-centric vehicle for discussion and is just right for one-on-one sharing.

Grandma is sick and five year old Emma is worried. Like so many children she has serious questions that "scritch and scratch" at the back of her throat--questions she is afraid to ask. This is a tender book that addresses an all too common experience. This just might be helpful for such moments in the life of a family. There is no final answer here, nor a happily ever after glossing over. It's a gracefully crafted story that shows the true grit of Grandma and how life goes on even in the face of uncertainty.

A Difficult Question To Ask

The book Emma’s Question arrived at our home just before a very tumultuous time, and was like a small port in the storm for me as a mother. Written by Catherine Urdahl and illustrated by Janine Dawson, the book takes us through a young girl’s curiosity and sadness upon the hospitalization of her grandmother.
Being a mother of young girls, I am always looking for ways in which to explain the “tough stuff” in life to them. I find that through books such as these, I’m better equipped to explain certain situations and help them understand in a way that makes sense to them.
We were drawn in to Emma’s Question by the soft watercolor-like illustrations and the friendly intricacy of the character’s features. Emma, a kindergartner, looks forward to her emma_p27-spot-72Grandma reading to her class the next day, only to find out that her much-loved Grandma has fallen ill and needs to stay in the hospital for a while. Emma has a burning question that “scratches at her throat” as she goes through the ins and outs of the next couple of days, worried about her Grandma and wondering what will happen.
When Emma’s mother finally takes her to see Grandma at the hospital, Emma is frightened and can’t bear the weight of her question anymore. “Are you going to die?” she bursts out. “Not today,” answers Grandma. As they begin to talk about the things in the room that help Grandma—the IV fluids, the medicines, the special hospital bed—Emma becomes more comfortable and sees that her Grandma is just the same as she always was, and still just as special. They talk about going out for bagels again, having tea parties and making up silly stories, just as they’ve always done.
When my own grandmother was recently hospitalized, I noticed that my Kindergartner, too, had questions. I thought back to the gentle way in which Catherine Urdahl pens Grandma handling Emma’s confusion and worry and channeled it to my own situation. After leaving the nursing home one day after a visit, I asked my daughter, who is very close to her great-grandmother, “Do you want to talk about Grammy?” “Will Grammy die?” she asked, eerily similar to little Emma’s inquiry. “Well…” I said. “Yes. Someday. But not today.” We walked on together, and I hoped she was thinking of all the fun things we usually do with Grammy and remembering, just as Emma did, that her great-grandmother is just as special as always.

With the recent worries about H1N1, hospitals have adopted strict visitation policies, especially regarding children. When parents or grandparents are hospitalized, faced with the unknown, children often imagine the worst. Emma’s Question by Catherine Urdahl tenderly explores this difficult life crisis.

With her grandmother in the hospital, everything in Emma’s life seems off kilter. Now, Grandma can’t to be the guest reader in her kindergarten class or take her for bagels on Wednesday. What’s worse is there’s a question “that scritches and scratches at the back of Emma’s throat”. Something she’s afraid to ask and her mother is upset to hear.

This book gives voice to the worries young children have when someone they love is ill. It gently addresses the small changes in the child’s world, as well as the child’s worst fear. “Are you going to die?” Emma asks her grandmother. “Not today, I have a Chutes and Ladders game to play.” Grandma answers. Urdahl does an excellent job straddling the delicate balance between reassuring the child that Grandma is okay without giving false promises. The humorous watercolor illustrations evoke a sense of peace and hope and help convey the closeness in Emma’s relationship with her grandmother.

Sometimes it seems safer to ignore big issues like death and illness with young children. Unfortunately, this approach usually increases children’s stress. Emma’s Question provides a framework for an honest approach to a difficult subject.

Emma's Question by Catherine Urdahl tells the story of a kindergarten girl who has grown accustomed to spending special times with her grandmother. One day Grandma becomes ill and has to go to the hospital. Little Emma wonders...who will be the guest reader in her school, and who will share a bagel with her on Wednesdays? Emma also wonders, but is afraid to ask...is Grandma going to die? Will Emma ask her question when she goes to the hospital?

Janine Dawson's illustrations are pen, ink, and watercolor using full colors. Her simple drawings produce a homey, personal feeling in each page, bringing to life the true emotions a family would sense during the illness of a loved one.

Urdahl doesn't sugar coat questions or strong feelings. Instead, she helps the reader explore what each person in a family is experiencing in a similar situation.

We highly recommend this book.