If You Were Here

Illustrated by Maya McKibbin
Published by Greystone Books

A child explores the natural environment around their home, imagining sharing it with an unspecified someone who is not there.

Age Level

Pre-school to Grade Two

Curriculum Connections

Nature, Emotions, the Environment

Activities

Who do you imagine the child in the story is thinking about?

What is your “very best place”? Make some pictures that would help you share that place with someone you sometimes wish could be there with you.

Is there someone in your life you wish could be with you more often? If so, what do you do to help you feel closer to them?

Which part of the place the child in the book likes do you think you would like best? The meadow, the woods, or the beach? Why? Is there any part of their place you think you wouldn’t like?

Reviews

... expressive text... gorgeous images... The perfect book for helping a child navigate loss, or missing someone that can’t be there with them.

49th Shelf

Lovely descriptive language is paired with detailed digitally drawn illustrations of trees, animals, and the ocean.

School Library Journal

Stinson’s narrator doesn’t go into detail about the missing loved one, allowing readers to see their own experiences reflected in the story; this could be a tale about someone who’s moved away, died, or is otherwise no longer a part of everyday life. Radiant images and a spacious narrative provide adults with an uplifting space to discuss heavy emotions with young ones. A glowing window into grieving that makes room for sorrow and joy to coexist.

Kirkus Reviews

Cover of If You Were Here by Kathy Stinson, Illustrated by Maya McKibbin

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