Our friend and fellow grandparent/author Arlene Michlin Bronstein just released her new book, called How Did Nonnie Get to Heaven? Grandparentslink is thrilled to present it to you.  Beautifully illustrated by Diana Torres, this book explores the life-cycle event of losing someone you love.  It combines a child’s imagination and sense of wonder, plus it takes a sad event and helps the whole family reflect and heal.

When the Brown triplets’ grandmother dies, they hear from everyone that she is now in HEAVEN.  They have heard it is a wonderful place to live, but no one can tell them how she got to her new home. Using their imaginations, the children come up with delightful ways to understand this important “journey”.

We wanted to understand Arlene’s incentive to write this book.  We asked her the following questions:

What in particular motivated you to write this book?  My granddaughters kept asking me “How did Nonnie get to Heaven?”  They were fascinated by this “journey”. Many people told them she had gone to a new “home”, but no one told them “how” she made the trip.  So I turned the question on them: “How do you think she got to heaven?”, and they came up with some beautiful, child-like responses.  It was a delightful, insightful exchange.  Over time, we decided to write a book together, never thinking it would become a real book.

Are there any feelings/thoughts that you think would be valuable to discuss with our own grandchildren, once we have shared this book?

This book has provided a place where conversations about loss can easily take place. The purpose is so that children will feel that their loved one has gone someplace where he/she is secure and happy.  This book removes the “elephant in the room” and allows for everyone to imagine “the journey” and to share their creativity and thoughtfulness.

To purchase How Did Nonnie Get to Heaven, click here: https://amzn.to/19LEnHU