Michael Rosen's Sad Book

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They combine perfectly recognisable portraits of Rosen with expressionism, proving that Blake’s seemingly spontaneous style is born out of practice and precision. The subject of bereavement is treated in an unusual way in Michael Rosen's Sad Book, which deals with the death of the author's own son. They combine perfectly recognisable portraits of Rosen with expressionism, proving that Blake's seemingly spontaneous style is born out of practice and precision. The Daily Telegraph considered whether it was suitable for children, and felt that parents would need to use the book as a stimulus for discussion and have to explain some of its ideas. A tireless promoter of children's literature – and a long-time collaborator with roald Dahl – Quentin Blake was awarded the OBE in 1988 and in 2005 he was awarded a CBE for services to Children's Literature.

The remainder of the book discusses the different feelings that bereavement brings, and ways of coping with them including distracting oneself and expressing feelings through writing. It wasn't made like any other book either; Michael Rosen said of the text, "I wrote it at a moment of extreme feeling and it went straight down onto the page . With emotional elegance and nuance, he welcomes and unpicks each layer of mourning and explains why it’s ok to be sad. A children's author and illustrator, most well-known for his illustratrations for books by Roald Dahl.

It is beautifully written with sensitivity and a reality which touches all ages, and can help us to start to understand the profound impact that death has on us.

Although it is marketed as a children's book, Rosen explicitly mentions on the inside book jacket that it is for everyone. Having read Michael Rosen's poetry throughout my childhood- full of hilarious and fun stories of Eddie as a little boy and later a big brother, it is clear how adored he was by his Dad. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. He is also the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration and in 1990 was voted 'The Illustrator's Illustrator' by Observer Magazine.The book frequently uses a disconnection between text and image to communicate the complex feelings of grief. A heartbreakingly honest account of a father’s grief for his son from the illustrious pairing of two former Children’s Laureates. The book chronicles Rosen's grief over the loss of his son Eddie, who died of meningococcal septicaemia aged 18.

The Guardian noted that the book was indeed sad but highly recommended it, saying, " Sad Book doesn't hide the darkness. The following suggestions offer a spectrum of different perspectives and are well worth seeking out. It could help with articulating the difficult thoughts and the many, sometimes, conflicting, emotions that come with grief. A moving combination of sincerity and simplicity, it acknowledges that sadness is not always avoidable or reasonable and perfects the art of making complicated feelings plain. In my experience it has helped some of my clients to open up difficult conversations about death and loss.Rosen said that the book arose after a group of children asked him questions about his son's death and they were able to discuss it in a "matter-of-fact" way. And Quentin Blake says that the picture of Michael "being sad but trying to look happy" is the most difficult drawing he's ever done.