My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon

Told in the voice of a child navigating the loss of his mother, this story depicts grief as an invisible dragon, not scary and ominous so much as big and present. The boy negotiates shared space with this unwelcome guest and tries many tricks to get rid of it, but on some days, he embraces the dragon: “I’d reach up and pull his big, dark wings around me.” Lucas stays true to the boy’s perspective through a landscape of shifting emotions, creating a narrative that reads childlike and true, with dashes of humor and playfulness amid the somber subject matter. Sif’s illustrations, awash in tone-appropriate blues and purples, feature expressive characters that encourage empathy. With its commitment to the child’s subjective experience, this is a welcome addition to grief literature for children. Ages 4–8. [em](July) [/em]