The final gift – "Goodbye, Grandma Emma" intensive reading

【Introduction to Classic Picture Books】Series - No. 005

The final gift – "Goodbye, Grandma Emma" intensive reading

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1. Synopsis of the story

The story is told by an eight-year-old mixed-race male cat named Star, who has lived with Grandma Emma since she was 2 years old. The story tells the last period of Emma's grandmother's life from The perspective of Star. When death was about to come, Grandma Emma signed the "Letter of Death", calmly handling her own affairs and saying goodbye to her relatives, and when that moment came, Grandma Emma, her family and Star calmly ushered in the moment of death.

"Goodbye, Grandma Emma" tells the story of the last year of her life through Grandma Emma's beloved cat Star through rare black and white photographic images, allowing us to feel the light and heat emanating from a resilient and dignified life.

This is a book that needs to prepare a facial tissue to turn the pages with peace of mind when reading, and it is a book that should be heavy-hearted after reading, but please find an opportunity to talk to the children about the stories in the book, so that the children know how to face life and death, how to face the world with dignity.

Second, the last moments of Emma's grandmother's life

Grandma Emma, 85, has a blood cancer called "multiple bone marrow cancer." "I may only have a year left in my life, and it looks like it's time to prepare." Grandma said. Very calm and rational treatment, no fear and panic, see the protagonist's attitude towards life.

Grandma Emma began writing her family history. "If I don't write it down, no one will know!"

"I want to live happily until the last moment!" Even if you are sick, you still have to live as you used to. Grandma went to the old people's club for breakfast, and when she went out, she still remembered to wear makeup and liked to trim the flowers and grass in the yard. Grandma Emma calmly faces a terminal illness, which is her love of life.

"I've lived long enough, and when that moment comes, I want to be able to walk quietly." She signed a document. Calmly handling her own affairs and abandoning excessive medical treatment is a defense of dignity and a deep love for her family.

Grandma's body deteriorated step by step, she said: "Maybe, soon, I will not be able to walk, I will not be able to eat, the same, maybe I will not be able to do it again." 」 But these were nothing more than my body preparing for a distant trip. "Death is nothing but the soul leaving this body, leaving this place, going to another world."

In emma's final moments as she entered her life, her family and friends came to say goodbye to her. She wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, and there was a sadness on her face that was hard to hide but tried to restrain. Everyone tried their best to hide their inner pain, but this young man holding Emma was sad that he couldn't help himself, which also represented everyone's voice.

Although Grandma Emma was sick, she still took care of her skin every night. Still maintaining a calm look at his own face.

The family exhausted everything they could to make Emma happy on her last journey, and Pat's husband, Ed, put a leaf on his head, showing that their love for Emma was everywhere.

Grandma Emma also said, "Now is the happiest time of my life." The failures and pains of the past have now become sweet memories. Some people, whom I used to feel could never forgive, now forgive them. Why did that person do that at that time, I seem to understand..."

Her body grew weaker and weaker, and Grandma began to write one last letter to each family member. "Brian, study hard and be a good teacher in the future!" "Pat, thank you for taking care of me until the last minute!" Emma's grandmother's life, left to the relatives is a life of courage, no sighs and regrets, what remains is love, is gratitude.

Grandma made a fun game and she said, "I've decided on the day I'm leaving. I wrote the day down on a piece of paper and hid it. When I'm dead, you'll find out and see if it's right. ”

Finally, Grandma's nosebleeds couldn't stop, and she said, "Just let me stay at home like this." "The family knows that tonight is the day Grandma chose to leave. With the help of a professional nurse, let her lie comfortably on the bed and walk the last journey of her life without pain. The family helped Grandma put on her favorite nightgown and plucked the roses grandma had planted from the yard and put them in her hands.

She calmly coped with death, not being defeated even in the last moments, and she walked away calmly, without a trace of regret, as she said, the soul left the body and entered another world.

Third, love the cat Star

My name is Star, I'm 8 years old, and I'm a mixed-race male cat. When I was two years old, Grandma Emma took me home. We had a very happy time before Grandma left this world. The next thing I want to talk about is the last year I spent with my grandmother.

Grandma's home is on a small town called Bourne on the west coast of the United States. The yard is surrounded by beautiful forests, and the deer often come here to play.

Emma's husband died 12 years ago, and she has lived with her daughter Pat, son-in-law Ed and grandson Brian ever since. But it was I who accompanied My Grandmother all the time.

The full text is narrated in the tone of Emma's grandmother's love cat, Star, and with real and powerful black and white photos, it reveals the true feelings of the pieces.

Grandma is gone, the loneliest is the Star with whom she spends the day and night, and the cat also has feelings. It came to the window where Grandma had been alive, and called out softly to Grandma, but in no response, it went into the house again and came to Grandma's bed. Seeing grandma's portrait, I remembered that grandma went to another world and played with the puppy Coco. Seeing the scene where things are not human, and the lonely and helpless eyes of the cat, let the reader can't help but feel sad from the heart.

On the last page, Star sits quietly at a wooden table in the courtyard, facing the sea where Emma's grandmother's ashes have been scattered. Star, who misses Grandma Emma, is calling: Grandma Emma, the days with you, really happy! I will never forget Grandma! Thank you, Grandma Emma!

Fourth, the escort of family members

After Emma's husband died, she lived with her daughter Pat's family, and sometimes accompanied her grandmother's side.

The one who knows Emma best is her daughter, Pat, who has been living with her and the two get along like friends. "No matter how painful this parting may be, we can't show sadness on our faces and don't let her worry. We're going to tell her, don't worry about us, and you'll feel free to embark on your journey to another world. Pat said.

Although Grandma Emma was sick, she still took care of her skin every night. At this time, Pat was always by her side. To amuse Grandma, Pat's husband, Ed, put a leaf on his head and looked funny.

Grandma Emma quietly stopped breathing. The family helped Grandma put on her favorite nightgown and plucked the roses grandma had planted from the yard and put them in her hands.

Following Emma's grandmother's last wishes, her family scattered her ashes into the sea, and also sprinkled many rose petals on the sea. Family and friends then gather in Grandma's yard to reminisce about their beloved Grandma.

Everyone gathered in Grandma's yard, solemnly and solemnly took a group photo, reminiscing about Grandma Emma's 85-year life. Although the protagonist, Grandma Emma, is missing, she must be smiling in heaven, so the people in the group photo also seem really relaxed.

It can be seen that everyone's mood is full of smiles and no longer pessimistic, looking up and looking forward, passing on this optimism from generation to generation. Why did Emma's family accept Her grandmother's death so calmly and optimistically? Probably because Grandma lived out her last dignity, her family understood and respected her wishes. In fact, in life, such examples happen all the time around us.

Fifth, a unique way of writing

This book is so unique that it records a touching story from the perspective of a cat with all the real photos, which may be called a picture story, or it can be said that there is no way to tell the story of a life in black and white pictures.

The biggest feature of this book is the truth, whether it is pictures or words are very realistic, the pictures are all photos taken by the author, and the text is to narrate the story of the old man in the tone of a cat raised by the old man, like a documentary replaying the last time of the old man, the photo shows the story of life.

The book uses rare black-and-white photographic images throughout the book, which is particularly realistic and shocking in this book on the theme of illness and death. Through the story of Emma's grandmother's beloved cat Star, the reader sees an elderly man's wisdom towards life and the open-mindedness of settling into the final journey of life.

Unlike previous fictional picture books, this is a true story. The black-and-white photographs in the book tell the tender but sad details of Emma's grandmother's death, and Emma's grandmother calmly accepts her own death.

The story chooses black, black melancholy and calm, and very close to death! This is also the reason why it has become the dominant color in picture books. And this story brings us not only sadness, but also a lot of thinking.

VI. Revelation

The story uses an unusual perspective to teach us one of the most common facts: life is limited, everyone faces death, and what matters is how to face it. Life is only once, and we must cherish our own lives. To make your life more enthusiastic and rich, but also to respect the lives of others.

Thank you, Grandma Emma! On the way to the other world step by step, calm and strong, let us learn how to face the fear of death and the torment of illness.

I also want to thank the author, following the gaze of cat Sida, with one lens at a time, let us learn how to help our lovers, friends, and even people who have nothing to do with themselves, in the last moment of the life course, still maintain human dignity.

This book tells children that life is limited, everyone will face death, and what is important is how to face it. Grandma Emma calmly decided on her own treatment plan, trying to prepare herself for her death, all of which may have stemmed from her deep love for her family.

The contribution of this thin booklet is that it can make me thorough, make life and the grand world view more transparent, feel warm.

The author's afterword reads: What is death? What does life have to do with death? How to face death? These problems should not be passed around, let alone avoided. "Human life is limited", "Everyone will face death", "Death is a moment, calm" These truths, whether children or adults, should learn to know and face. Shouldn't we share such a truth of life with our children?

7. Photographer (Author)

Atsuko Otsuka was born in 1960 and graduated from the Department of English and Literature from Sophia University in Japan. He became an independent photographer in 1986 and devoted himself to documentary photographs of war, environmental protection, and life education. She has been deep into the scene of international events many times, and has also photographed wild animals such as seals, sea lions, and ring-tailed lemurs, and since 1992, she has been stationed in the United States to start the creation of "human archives". In 1998, she won the "Sun Award" for documenting the lives of female AIDS patients.

He began working as a freelance photographer in 1986 and met Grandma Emma in 1997 as her "thirteenth granddaughter". When she learned that Emma was terminally ill and had died soon after, she stayed by Emma's side to see how she faced death, how she spent the last days of her life, and with Emma's consent, recorded the next moment with photos.

From this, I greatly admire the author's vision, and use this special way of accounting to create a precedent for picture book creation. Through the eyes of Emma's grandmother's beloved cat, Star, the camera records the last time she accompanied Emma's grandmother from terminal illness to death. The camera lens tracks the grandmother seen by the cat, faithfully reflecting the changes that death has brought to the grandmother's body. Through a series of black and white photos, connecting the last year of Emma's grandmother's life, although the condition is getting worse and worse, her face is getting haggard, but Emma's grandmother is always optimistic and strong, she cherishes life, faces death, and cherishes this last time with her family.

There are dozens of pictures in the whole book, some of which are just a line of description under the pictures, which is very short. Some pictures do not even have instructions, because they are not needed.