Happy Book Birthday

by Lauren H. Kerstein 

Illustrated by Nanette Regan

(Beaming Books)

A sensitively told SEL story about grief, cherishing family memories…  

Images throughout © Nanette Regan

… and the comforting truth that love lives on forever.

“I wanted to write a book that would capture the fact that even when someone isn’t part of our day-to-day/ our physical world, their love still lives on. The final iteration includes bits and pieces of many important people in my life. From cucumber hiccups to dancing to the jewelry box, each scene represents a way that my loved ones will live on forever… Nanette Regan’s incredibly beautiful illustrations added even more SEL and resonance.”
—Lauren H. Kerstein

SPOTLIGHT: Lauren H. Kerstein and Remembering Grandpa (rateyourstory.org)

Book launch and Giving Party celebrated on Good Day Colorado:

As featured in
The Picture Book Buzz

Q. What was the inspiration or your spark of interest for Remembering Sundays with Grandpa?

LHK: The inspiration for this book was the wonderful relationship I had with my grandmother. Her name was Henrietta. … The first main character was female and named Hannah—with an H for Henrietta, and she missed her grandmother. But over time, this book morphed into Henry and his grandpa. I wrote this book as a way to pay tribute to her. I also wanted to write a book for my daughters to help them with grief they might experience, especially as their great grandmother, Mimi, aged.

Q. How long did it take from the first draft to publication for Remembering Sundays with Grandpa?

LHK: It took approximately eleven years from initial draft to publication. In fact, this manuscript sat in the proverbial drawer for around nine years. I plucked it from the drawer after a meeting with an editor (a different editor) who said she wanted a book for her son about grief. I re-wrote it for her and although she ultimately declined, the incredible Andrea Hall with Beaming Books acquired it right away. So, after years of sitting in the drawer, I ripped it to shreds, put it back together and sold it a couple of months after that rewrite.

Round-up feature

15 New Picture Books,
November 2023

“…a sweet story that addresses the death of a grandparent and how a child comes to terms with their grief.”

Lauren H. Kerstein is an author and psychotherapist. She is a Jersey girl at heart who currently lives in Colorado with her husband, their daughters, and their rescue dogs. Lauren is the author of HOME FOR A WHILE, and the Rosie the Dragon and Charlie picture book series. She runs #ReVISIONweek and is a member of SCBWI and 12×12.