"When summer started, I got Grampa's stopwatch. I don't want his stopwatch. I want him." Remembering the many ways the stopwatch was part of being together, whether Grampa timed eating bubblegum ice cream or how long it took a caterpillar to travel up a pant leg, feels too painful for this grieving white child. The stopwatch is buried in a sweater drawer, and stays there as seasons pass. When the stopwatch is finally rediscovered, the sharp pain of loss has ebbed, and the watch triggers warm and welcome memories of the beloved grandparent. This story about loss, grief, and healing is both appealing and accessible.
(Ages 4-8)

A touching portrayal of the loss of a grandparent. “When summer started, I got Grampa’s stopwatch,” a small child says. “I don’t want his stopwatch. I want him.” Grampa used to time everything. A race to the end of the street and back: 24 seconds. Eating bubblegum ice cream: 1 minute, 58 seconds. But now, Grampa’s gone. “There are no more Grampa minutes, Grampa seconds,” the child says. “Time just stops.” But as time goes on, the stopwatch becomes a cherished symbol of remembrance, and the child uses it to carry on Grampa’s favorite pastimes and traditions. A treasured ritual from the past can sometimes offer the perfect bridge to the future.