Mia had what she called a 'colour sucker day' the day her mother died. All the colour went out of life just as though a vacuum cleaner had sucked it all up. Her mum's death was sudden, due to an accident, so there was no preparation, but her dad who was also suffering greatly, helped Mia to get through the ensuing days. He is good at using metaphors to explain things to Mia. Her sleep is affected, she is very, very angry, and sometimes she wants to let her heart become ice so she won't feel the pain anymore. There are lots of questions and lots of crying together, and then they take a memory journey and make a memory box with pictures and things to remind them of the happy times they shared with mum: 'Some days were harder than others and some days we didn't go very far on our journey at all.' They write letters to mum and send them off in a balloon, and when Mia is angry, they splash paint around or punch holes in newspaper. Dad is imaginative at finding coping strategies and gradually, gradually the colour begins to come back into their lives. Mia asks where mum has gone and dad answers honestly that no one really knows, but that he believes she lives on in their memories and lives. Mia remembers that mum used to talk to the stars when she wasn't with her little girl, and so Mia decides to talk to her mum in the 'brightest star in the sky', and this she has done ever since. This is her 'sky diamond' and she has talked with it on every important occasion in her life, even into adulthood. A beautifully written, beautifully illustrated book that not only will help children to understand death and its finality, but will also give them ways of helping themselves and others to cope with the inevitable problems that come to everyone who suffers loss. Outstanding! Available from good book shops, from Amazon, or from the publisher: www.jkp.com.