What Happened To My Poppy?
A Children's Book for Learning About Grief
by Alison Abou-Heif Ovenell

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Mimi and Poppy live together in a pretty house with their cat, Iris. They love gardening, going for walks, and spending time with their three precious grandchildren, who visit them often. One day, Poppy doesn’t feel well. He goes to bed to rest, but instead of getting better, Poppy starts to feel worse. His grandchildren make him get-well-soon cards and visit him in the hospital. But sometimes, there’s nothing we can do to change the outcome of a long illness. Each of us experiences loss at some stage in our lives, and young children are no exception. What Happened To My Poppy? helps children learn resiliency and gratitude as they navigate loss, especially that of a grandparent. Told in simple rhyming verse, it reminds children that grief and joy coincide through life's triumphs and struggles, and that it’s okay to feel whatever emotions they have. Though the subject matter is serious, the book has a positive message. It explains to kids that the world has great helpers who do their best in the research field and in treating patients, and reminds us that we only have one life, and we must keep living it and having fun.

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Alison Abou-Heif Ovenell is a retired elementary teacher, widow, mother, and grandmother. Her long career as a Grade 1 teacher and a lifetime of writing poetry inspired her to write her first book, What Happened To My Poppy?, to help children understand grief. When she isn’t writing, Alison loves to spend time gardening, hiking, listening to music, crocheting, enjoying her cottage life, spending time with her daughters and playing with her grandchildren. She lives in Pickering, Ontario with her cat.

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Contributors

Author

Alison Abou-Heif Ovenell

Illustrator

Marianne Woolley

Photographer

Lauren Amelia Photography