Where Do They Go?

by Julia Alvarez, Sabra Field (Illustrations)

Bestselling novelist (How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents) and children's (The Tia Lola Stories) author Julia Alvarez's new picture book is a beautifully crafted poem for children that gently addresses the emotional side of death. The book asks, "When somebody dies, where do they go? / Do they go where the wind goes when it blows? ... Do they wink back at me when I wish on a star? Do they whisper, 'You're perfect, just as you are'? ..." Illustrated by Vermont woodcut artist, Sabra Field, Where Do They Go? is a beautiful and comforting meditation on death, asking questions young readers might have about what happens to those they love after they die.

A Spanish-language edition of the book, ¿Donde va a parar? , is available in paperback.

Genres: Picture Books, Death, Grief, Childrens, Poetry, Emotion, Fiction

24 pages, Hardcover

Published November 2, 2016

About the author

Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Photo copyright by Brandon Cruz González
EL VOCERO DE PUERTO RICO

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do our dead loved ones go? This beautiful book tries to answer this question for children...but adults will also find comfort in the message of this book.

[ee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, but the rhyming was so cringey at times

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just heart-wrenching. Smart use of white space to represent the different forms that someone who has passed may take on, and just the perfect book to use for bibliotherapy with a child that is grieving, with no overtly religious elements to alienate certain readers.

[Rebecca Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Summary: The book begins with a young child asking where someone goes when they pass away. They want to know who has an idea or if they can ask someone else to provide them an answer. In rhythmic and poetic manner, the child continues to contemplate all the different places they could be…in the wind, the ocean, the snow, the sky, etc. It also asks whether the person will continue to comfort them in times of curiosity, fear, and misunderstanding. The book ends by explaining that they will see the face of the deceased in new faces and new places, and that they will always be in the heart and life of the child they left behind.
• Theme: When someone dies, we may not physically be able to see them anymore; however, our curiosity and longing for them will prove that they are still in our lives after they pass away. They take new forms and they stay in our hearts forever.
• Rating: 5 stars
• Personal Response: When I was in second grade, my first grandparent died. The experience was actually extremely traumatizing, as death was a foreign concept to me at the time. I remember having lots of questions about what had happened but no one ever really answered them. This book, although it does not give the scientific answer, offers a more spiritual outlook on where loved ones go when they pass away and how we can still connect with them.
• Recommendation: I would recommend this book for anyone from the age of 6-10. I think that it can help children understand that although someone may be gone from their life physically, they can still find ways to connect with them and feel them and miss them. Trying to understand the science of illness and death to children is hard and confusing, this book is a great way to help solve some of those curiosities.

[Sienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should admit, I love Julia Alvarez, not just as a writer but as a friend & mentor. She is a beautiful soul who shares her light so generously. This simple, tender book made me cry, with a smile. I had thought I would get some copies to send to young friends of mine but now I'm thinking I will order some for friends my age as well.

[Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It asks the hard question we all ask at any age about what happens to someone when they die. The book describes simply, the grief thought process that someone in grief might experience, the thinking, wondering and feeling the lost one's presence all around.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful. Death leaves us with more questions than answers and holes in our hearts that can never be filled. This book honors the universal questions we all might be asking when someone we love dies. I was left with goosebumps. Essential purchase for libraries serving children.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great rhymes to answer where people go after they die. Might be very comforting, I think. And diverse to boot.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and reassuring.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book excels in capturing the sense of loss of someone close who has died--the illustrations more than pull their full weight, depicting how grief touches memories at the experience of seeing people and places. So the book can be useful to open a conversation with a child or adult to connect with their grief and loss. But not so fast. The book drifts when it responds to the deepest questions about life after death with a vague wish, "Are they hiding on rooftops, at the foot of the stairs...?" These suggest a spirituality that doesn't deal with the crushing feelings and questions about loss that even children need satisfying answers to. I would move on to other titles, especially if the Christian hope of eternal heaven is an important value.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very morbid, but good for a child who needs guidance in mourning a loved ones passing.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy introduction to what may happen when someone dies. Beautiful illustrations that include many different skin tones.

[hhhhhhhhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

[Rosalyn Prattis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This chuldrens book made me cry. I was going to read it to my daughter but decided against it. She's 10 and lost her father. She still hasn't shown any emotion over it, and reading this book, I don't feel like it is something that will comfort her. I'm going to let her open up first. It is a great read for kids who do question the "where do they go" but for kids who do not open up someone close passes, to me, you have to judge for yourself on that one. But it was a really good read.

[Rinku · Rating 5 out of 5]

questions about loss

The book was beautiful and brought up questions about what happens to our loved ones after they die. A book for grieving hearts.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death is hard to explain to children, and this book is one attempt to engage with this difficulty. The majority is questions children might have about what happens to their loved ones. While only the end of the book has answers (of a sort), the questions themselves contain answers within them (the answers we often wish for or think we already know the answer to). The answer to the books title is that we see our loved ones in the love in the world, especially in nature. Woodcuts with multi-cultural illustrations show that children around the world have the same questions and longing for loved ones now gone.

[typewriterdeluxe · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no one book about death that will work for every family and every reader, so luckily there are many on the topic.

Some people really like Where Do They Go? but I found the combo of new age spirituality and metered rhyming (which was not quite right in a few places) cheesy, too abstract, and underwhelming.

As with all books that tackle difficult subjects, I recommend that you try before you buy.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explores the question of where people go when they die. It has a nice sentiment without being hard for parents to read in times of loss. A little bit fanciful, but not to an unhealthy degree. Could open up a great conversation about what parent and child believe. The illustrations reminded me of Jack Ezra Keats's Snowy Day, but less expressive or evocative.

Recommended as a primer for very young children who are starting to learn about the concept of death.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking at other people's reviews they do find comfort from this narrative and that makes me glad. The tone is gentle. And, if your family concur's with its message it might be a good way to start talking about death. The illustrations are captivating.

As a grief therapist, I am always looking for additional titles to add to my collection. This is not one I would include. It is too stymied in a narrow, nebulous, spiritual concept of the after life.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do people go when they die? I loved this because it doesn’t attempt to answer the unanswerable. It simply asks. It is not religious, but leaves that possibility open, and non-religious people will appreciate that it pushes no agenda. It just voices the questions. The text is simple and appropriate for the youngest readers, and the art is evocative.

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the recent passing of my grandfather, this book was perfect to read to my 8 & 2 yr old. It has a beautiful way of saying although they are gone, they are still here with us in the wind, the stars, the flowers and our hearts. Fantastic story and beautiful , original illustrations.

[Donna Mork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do people go when they die? Done in rhyme, do they go to the clouds and change shape, do they fall with the rain, are they in my tears. Sweet book dealing with the subject of death. Does not answer it fully, but lists possibilities.

[Rita Salfetnikova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture book / Fiction
Copyright 2016
This is a book about what happens to people after they die. I would use this book to teach about death in a easily understandable way. This book is appropiate for grades k-5.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written rhyming poem about coping with death, loss, and grief. Not embedded in any one particular religious orientation. Simple illustrations complement the text well. Suitable for all ages.

[Debby Baumgartner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where people go when they die is write as a poem.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh goodness. This one probably wouldn't be my first choice for a bereaved child, but I'm sure there are kids who would find comfort in this book.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, reflective picture book to share with older children and adults about death. Don't think it would be useful for younger children, as it may be too abstract.

[Joan Arbogast · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult subject handled gently, allowing questions and open-ended answers. Non-religious.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars?

[Margaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I just got a hug. This book doesn't answer any questions, which is the point. We're always left to wonder where our loved ones are, and this book validates those feelings.