The Next Place
by Warren Hanson

My best friend's 9 year old daughter died one week ago today with her father in a car accident. My friend read this book, which was one of her daughter's favorites, at her funeral service 2 days ago. She had all the children at the service come up and sit with her while she read it to them. It really helped my 5 year old son understand that although she is not coming back to our world, she is in a good place. Her death has been the hardest thing for us, even as adults, to understand. This book brought some peace and comfort in a very difficult time.

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the words are so poetic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is suffering with the loss of a loved one. I am using it to teach my children about hope and loss.