See You on the Other Side

by Rachel Montez Minor (Author) Mariyah Rahman (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

This lyrical picture book is a beautiful, heart-opening ode to loved ones we've lost and a reminder that their love will carry on with us forever. Filled with stunning illustrations and uplifting text, this is an inspiring story for children and adults to read together in times of need.

This is not goodbye, sweet child.

I'll see you on the other side. . . .

Simple, rhyming text and evocative illustrations offer comfort to children who may be grieving, or coming to terms with the idea of loss or change. The universal message opens the door to our collective healing, and the everlasting connection of love. Actress, dancer, and singer Rachel Montez Minor wrote this book to help children and their families process big life changes. With illustrations from Mariyah Rahman, Minor's soothing and poetic words are a balm for the spirit.

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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Readers will find peace in the text's gentle, loving reassurance.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

K-Gr 2--Narrated in first-person rhyming quatrains and told from the perspective of a lost loved one, this gentle title offers comfort to young readers coping with grief. The text reassures that love can still be felt even after loss: "Like the moon still shines/ when hidden by the sun, / I'm here to guide you./ Your journey's just begun." It also offers suggestions for processing loss: "Write me a letter/ and share how you feel./ Your message will reach me/ and help you to heal." The quality of the verse is a bit uneven, though accessible throughout; Minor wraps sadness in encompassing language that does not limit this to a specific religion or belief system. Rahman's digital illustrations are soft and ethereal, depicting diverse skin tones, family structures, and stages of mourning; each spread shows a child or family moving through their grief in different ways, often with the spirit or memory of their loved one (pets included) incorporated into the art. VERDICT While the text may raise more questions than it answers, its tone is comforting and its myriad depictions of grief offer many entry points to which young readers may relate. Recommended for purchase where titles on loss are needed.--Lauren Strohecker

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

★ Narrated in first-person rhyming quatrains and told from the perspective of a lost loved one, this gentle title offers comfort to young readers coping with grief. —School Library Journal, starred review 

A comforting, useful book for children dealing with loss. Readers will find peace in the text's gentle, loving reassurance. —Kirkus Reviews
Rachel Montez Minor
Rachel Montez Minor has enjoyed a twenty-year career as a dancer, singer, and actress on Broadway and in TV and film, and now focuses on her second act as a writer, artist, mystic, mother, yoga teacher, and meditation practitioner. Highlights of her career as a performer include The Producers on Broadway, the movie musicals Rent and The Producers, and TV shows such as Mistresses, Nip/Tuck, Brothers and Sisters, Without a Trace, The Mentalist, Key and Peele, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Rachel has performed at such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Royal Albert Hall. She has been a devoted yoga and meditation practitioner for 24 years and a certified yoga teacher for 14 years. Rachel resides in California with her beloved husband, musical director/producer/composer Rickey Minor, and their daughter, Brodie Nakia. Her debut picture book, The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, was published in Fall 2021 by Crown BFYR. You can learn more at rachelmontezminor.com.

Mariyah Rahman is a background painter and children's book illustrator, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. She has a BFA in illustration from ArtCenter College of Design, specializing in entertainment arts. Clients include Titmouse Animation, Nix Hydra, Heinemann Publishing, and Simon & Schuster. Her inspirations include literature, fantasy, and folklore, and she spends most of her free time reading, baking, and rolling around with her cats and dogs. Mariyah's first debut picture book, Plátanos Are Love, will be published in Spring 2023 by Simon & Schuster.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593309421
Lexile Measure
450
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
September 26, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039030 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Death & Dying
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Stories in rhyme
Grief
Loss

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