Andrew is finding it difficult to go home after school because home right now is a sad place. Grandad has just died, and Andrew and his mum and dad are missing him very much. When dad collects him from school, Andrew explains to his dad: 'My heart feels so sad and empty, and my tummy is churning inside...' and he and dad watch a ladybird climbing the wall and remember how Grandad showed Andrew how ladybirds could crawl over his hand. Mum and dad explain that sad feelings are 'perfectly normal' when someone dies and that they must face these feelings together. That night they decide to have spaghetti and meatballs because that was one of Grandad's favourite suppers, and they talk about all the funny things he used to say. They look at pictures too and remember their favourite things about him: 'They told many more Grandad stories, and they laughed and cried and sighed. They sort of felt Grandad was with them even though they knew that he'd died.' Time passes, and Andrew has accepted Grandad's death, but he knows he will always have a place in his heart. The lovely, warm pictures in this book provide lots of solace and peace, and discussing the story with a child who has lost someone special will lead to acceptance too. The rhyming couplets will appeal, even though the scansion isn't always spot on!