Quinn says Goodbye by Christie Thomas is a beautifully illustrated story about a little Owl losing her friend. Quinn and her mother, upon returning to their nest one day, discover a firefly that has been hurt. The first thing I love about this book is the compassion of Quinn as she asks her Mama if they can help the firefly recover. Quinn and the firefly, whom she names Blink, become friends and have lots of fun together until one day when Quinn discovers Blink is gone. Quinn searches but cannot find her friend. This book beautifully depicts a story of loss and the sadness that comes with grieving a loss. We are never told what happens to Blink so this book makes a fantastic conversation starter with kids on a variety of losses. I love that the story both affirms that bad things sometimes happen and that it is ok to express grief while reminding us that God is with us and will never leave us through those bad things. I also appreciated that Mama invited Quinn to talk with God about her sadness. The book concludes with Quinn recognizing a beautiful reminder of her friend. I have read this book several times to my 2 and 4 year old and they both love the story. They are so sad when Blink is gone and wonder what happened to him and this has led to some wonderful conversations about loss and how we can talk with God about our sadness. Another bonus is the fun facts about fireflies and the conversation starters for families at the end of the book. We often do not recognize that kids experience loss and grief and need a way to process their feelings. This is a fantastic resource for parents, pastors, Sunday school teachers and anyone looking for a gentle way to introduce a conversation about loss and grief with young kids. Geared for kids ages 3 – 7.

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