Maybe Tomorrow? (a Story about Loss, Healing, and Friendship) - by Charlotte Agell (Hardcover)

About the Book

This tender exploration of loss illuminates how kindness, empathy, and friendship can lift spirits. It's for anyone who has experienced hardship or grief, from the death of a loved one or a pet, to a friend moving away, or the transition to a new home or family situation. Full color.

Book Synopsis

This affectionate, deeply soothing story exemplifies how to comfort someone who is hurting. A wonderful gift for any occasion, perfect for fans of The Rabbit Listened.

"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place." --School Library Journal

Elba has a big block. She's been dragging it around for a long time. It makes her walk slowly. It makes her think darkly. It is heavy.

Norris dances everywhere he goes, even uphill. He is always surrounded by a happy cloud of butterflies.

When the two meet, Norris wants Elba to accompany him on a trip to the ocean. But she just wants to sit on her block.

"I feel something in there," Norris says.

"What?" asks Elba, who doesn't feel a thing.

"Something sad," says Norris. "I think it wants to come out."

In time, Elba agrees to let Norris help her carry her block. Is it possible that once they finally reach the shore, Elba's block has grown smaller?

This tender exploration of grief will resonate with anyone who has experienced hardship, sensitively demonstrating the healing power of a friend who can see, listen, sit with, and love us through all our feelings.

Review Quotes

Praise for Maybe Tomorrow?:

"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place...an excellent purchase." --School Library Journal

"Demonstrate[s] the power of patience, listening, and simply showing up when loved ones are navigating difficult emotions. Ramírez González's illustrations... utilize bright, textured colors, simple rounded shapes, and subtle yet eloquent facial expressions to sweetly emphasize the characters' emotional journey. A poignant exploration of depression, grief, and friendship. --Kirkus Reviews

"Norris the alligator is optimism personified... Elba, a pink hippo, couldn't be more different...With Norris's gentle prodding and willingness to befriend her as she is, Elba reveals that she is mourning the loss of her dear friend, Little Bird...Norris seems to instinctively know how to help his new pal without encroaching on her emotional boundaries; his patient demeanor and her quiet emergence become the story's narrative. Ramírez González's sunny digitized watercolors echo this hopeful mood with a lightness and energy." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Charlotte Agell was born in Norsjo, Sweden, and grew up in Montreal, Canada. She is the mother of two grown children and is a retired public-school teacher living in Maine. Charlotte is the author and illustrator of several picture books, chapter books, and young adult fiction published in Canada and abroad. Her Scholastic Press debut, Maybe Tomorrow? was hailed by School Library Journal as a story that offers "hope that the world can be beautiful place." Learn more at charlotteagell.com.

Ana Ramírez González worked as a visual development artist on Pixar's Academy Award-winning film Coco and illustrated the companion picture book Coco: Miguel and the Grand Harmony. She grew up in Guanajuato, Mexico, and lives in Oakland, California. Ana is also the illustrator of the picture books Kamala and Maya's Big Idea, A Sled for Gabo, and Maybe Tomorrow?