Always and Forever

Written by Alan Durant and Illustrated by Debi Gliori. Durant is a United Kingdom native, born in Surry.  He loved to read as a child, especially C.S. Lewis's Narnia Series. He lives with his wife and family and makes them be his 'guinea pigs' and listen to his stories for him. For more information click here.  Debi Gliori is a Scottish children's book author and illustrator. She grew up as an only child and has been creating children's books since the late 70s.  She has 5 children and a golden retriever, for more information click here.

Genre: Fiction
Theme: Animals/Social Issues/Death & Grief
Ages: 4-9

Summary:  When their friend Fox falls ill and dies, his housemates, Otter, Mole, and Hare are saddened.  They feel as though they can not go on. One day Squirrel comes to visit and reminds them of Fox's wisdom and all of the funny things he used to do. This makes them laugh for the first time in a long while.  They come up with ideas and ways for how to honor Fox, but continue living because they realize that Fox's love and memory will always be with them.

Link to Picture

Pre-Reading Activity: Think of a time when you have lost someone close to you.  It does not have to be a death, maybe someone moved away, or you had to move.  Remember the way you felt when they had to go. Some of you may not know what this feeling is like yet, but you can imagine.

Post-Reading Activity:  Now, think of the person we had in mind before reading the book.  Try to remember a happy memory of that person.  Write at least one good sentence describing what you liked about that person, and what makes them special.

Reflection: To be honest, I would not address this book with a full class unless a peer or a well known person was lost.  It is a very sensitive subject matter, however is such a wonderful book for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one.  It would be a great text for helping someone to cope through a difficult time.