Praise has come from blogger, The Grief Girl Online. The picture book has also been shared with networks at bereavement charities Winton’s Wish and Cruse, who aim to use the book as a resource in their children’s services.

We felt it important to get it out there and available to read now.”Ī portion of the proceeds from Where is Uncle Al? will be donated to Action for Children who provide practical and emotional support to vulnerable young people. “The timing was unplanned, but also unfortunately serendipitous with the subject matter at a time where more families have experienced loss due to the pandemic.

“When the whole world slowed down during lockdown, it gave us the gift of time to finish the project and propel it out into the world, as an independently published book. “We had begun working on it already, having taken a draft version of the project to the 2019 Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy, to gain industry feedback from publishers. A portion of the profits will be donated to Action For Children who provide practical and emotional support for vulnerable young people.Although the book was already well-underway as the coronavirus pandemic hit, the lockdown gave the duo time to complete the project. It also shows how people’s lives should be celebrated and remembered even when they’re not there to help keep their memories alive for future generations.Īn uplifting and thoughtful addition to anyone’s book collection. This reassuring, inclusive title is the perfect way to introduce little ones to the idea of loss and what happens to people after they’ve passed away. This left Lily even more confused so she decided to ask a different question instead…

When she asked mum, she said Uncle Al was up in Heaven, dad said he had passed to the other side… everyone she asked had a different answer to where he was now. Uncle Al passed away before six-year-old Lily was born but there were still lots of photos of him around the house. The loss of a family member or loved one isn’t something you can ever really prepare for, but sharing books which explore ideas around what happens when someone dies before the situation arises can be so helpful for young children.Īfter being told to avoid writing a picture book exploring beliefs about death, Eva Hibbs decided to go ahead and self-publish in order to help break down the taboos our culture has around talking about death.

Where is Uncle Al? by Eva Hibbs