by Vicky Free (Illustrator), Matt Chandler (Author)
How do we explain the death of a loved one to a small child? Be it a grandparent, a pet, or a classmate, helping a child cope with the subject of death and dying is challenging. Balloons for Heaven explores the topic in an age appropriate manner, helping parents approach the subject with a tool to break the ice and start the conversation. Balloons uses the death of a pet, and later a parent, to address why living beings die and offers young children an option to remember their loved one.
Author Biography
Matt Chandler is a former newspaper editor from Buffalo, New York. He is the author of ten books for children. He has written non-fiction kids books on topics ranging from haunted places, to professional wrestling to Major League Baseball. As a freelance writer, his work has appeared in newspapers and magazines both regionally and nationally. Matt regularly visits elementary schools as a guest author to teach children about the writing process and share what it is like to be an author. Balloons for Heaven is his first fiction book, although it is based on a true story.