Always and Forever by Alan Durant

Always and Forever Reviews

• 
  Carmen

  Yet another AMAZING and WONDERFUL grief book for children.
  
  Otter, Mole, Fox and Hare are all good friends who live in the woods together. Everyone works hard and has their strengths and helps each other.
  
  They were a happy family, and they loved each other dearly.
  
  Then
  
  But one day, Fox fell ill. As the leaves started to drop from the trees, Fox grew thin, pale, and sad.
  
  One morning, he went out alone into the woods and didn't come back.
  
  Wow. We see Fox's prone body in the autumn woods.
  
  His family found him, still and cold, covered in leaves, beneath an oak tree. With sadness, they carried him home.
  
  They bury fox under the willow tree – his favorite place. They weep over his grave.
  
  Everyone is very sad. They tell each other the good things about Fox. They share stories about how wise, clever, and kind he was.
  
  Remembering the things they loved about Fox made his family miss him all the more. Even talking about him made their hearts ache.
  
  They fell into silence.
  
  All winter they are very sad and very quiet.
  
  Then spring comes. And so does Squirrel.
  
  “We've been too sad to go out,” Mole tells Squirrel.
  
  “We miss Fox too much,” said Hare.
  
  “So do we all,” said Squirrel, “but life has to go on.”
  
  “How can it, without Fox?” said Otter, and he started to cry.
  
  They all start to cry, and Squirrel can't comfort them, no matter how hard she tries.
  
  But when Squirrel stays for dinner, she subtly tells a funny story about Fox's cooking and how terrible it was. This makes everyone smile as they remember him.
  
  Then Hare chimes in with a funny story about how terrible a carpenter Fox was, and how he once made a chair that fell apart the first time someone sat in it!
  
  Then Mole tells a funny story about Fox making a gardening mistake. Everyone laughs. They laugh for the first time in ages.
  
  “You know,” Hare said after a while, “I'm going to make a special garden for Fox under the willow tree.” She smiled.
  
  Mole plans to build a bench under the tree for people to sit on. And Otter vows to bake Fox's potato pie once a month.
  
  So they do all these things. Eating the pie every month, and sitting in the garden dedicated to Fox, everyone recalls happy times.
  
  As they laughed, they felt they could hear Fox laughing too, as if he were still there with them.
  
  And in their hearts and their memories and their laughter, Fox WAS still there, part of their family, beloved friend and companion – always and forever.
  EL FIN.
  
  Tl;dr – Well, that was super amazing. I love how the close friends refer to each other as “family” even though they are from different species. I love how at first, talking about Fox makes their grieving worse. They grieve for months. I love how Squirrel comes in and makes them all laugh by starting them up talking about funny things Fox did in life. Then all the animals find their own way to honor foxes memory and keep it alive in the present. And it works! Fox will live on in their hearts and their thoughts.
  
  I also love how Fox gets ill, his appearance changes and he's sad – and then he goes off into the woods to die. I love how the book actually shows his body and has the animals find him, carry him home and bury him. Children often have a need and a desire to know specifics – where did Grandpa go? Where is his body? What will happen to him? This book addresses those concerns in a gentle and sweet way.
  
  If you need a grief book for children who are dealing with a friend or relative's death, this book is pure gold. I highly recommend it. A+.
• 
  Ugnė Lukošienė

  Labai jautri, šilta pasaka, padedanti vaikams išmokti susitaikyti su netektimis arba prie jų bent dalinai prisiliesti, suprasti jų svarbą. Ši knygelė labai naudinga, norint parodyti vaikams, jog mes negalime išvengti netekčių, bet galime išmokti jas priimti.
• 
  Stephanie Calhoun

  I was recommended this book after our school experienced the loss of a student. This was an appropriate book for my kindergarten students and approached the topic of grief appropriately.
• 
  Fiona

  This is a heart warming story about a group of friends made up of a Fox, Mole, Hare and Otter. The group are left devastated when they discover that their dear friend Fox has passed away.
  
  The animals feel as though there lives cannot go on and they don't know how to cope without Fox. One day, their friend Squirrel comes to visit and he reminds the animals of all the times that they had spent with Fox and the memories they had shared, the animals began to see that life could go on,and in order for them to feel as though they could move on, they needed to go through the process of grief.
  
  The book itself has beautiful illustrations and a lovely narrative. This would be a useful resource to have in a classroom, suitable for both KS1 and KS2. Unfortunately, death is something that as a teacher we may encounter and have to talk to children about, and this book, 'Always and forever', would lighten the topic and be an interesting book to base a circle time session or in a PSHE class, to help children express their feelings during a time of grieve, whether it is a family member, friend or a pet.
  
  'Always and Forever', can help young children understand that when they lose someone, they are not alone in these situations.
  
• 
  Catherine Smith

  I read this book as part of an RE lesson and thought it was excellent and really thought provoking.
  
  I found that it would be really useful for a PSHE lesson or circle time when dealing with death. The theme of death is a difficult one to deal with when working with children, but it occasionally (unfortunately..) might be necessary, so I think that this book should be on hand if it is required.
  
  The story is about a friendship group, a fox, an otter and a hare. The fox passes away and the novel follows the otter and hare as they deal with the emotions associated with this loss. The book is beautifully written and has lovely illustrations. It really is touching and would certainly help the children realise that there are things they can do to feel better.
  
  It's a lovely narrative, and the animals plant and build things in memory of fox.
  
  I think this book would be good for all primary levels, even KS2, as it deals with quite a dark theme, and if this was required, it's a great book for it.
• 
  Lorna

  I highly recommend this book. It has big, beautiful bright illustrations and a sweet message. Great for anyone who has experienced a loss of a loved one.
• 
  Heidi

  Wow…what a powerful story. I actually lost my oldest sister a little over five years ago, so reading this with my other sisters brought out some sad feelings. Losing a sibling, a friend, is something that goes so deeply and affects you so much. There are moments that are still hard for me and so reading this book resurfaced the toughest time when Inez was slipping away from us and then finally left.
  
  With that being said, I thought this story was presented beautifully and honestly. Yes, the animal friends were sad, but Squirrel helped them to remember the good times, so there’s a balance of both feelings. I found the transition from one to the other smooth and logical.
  
  I loved the illustrations here and especially the split pages. On one side of these pages followed the present storyline where the fur friends were talking, while the other side of the pages were of Fox, when he was alive and acting out each story. This part of the story helped smooth out the feeling transitioning as I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
  
  Overall, I loved how real the emotions felt in the story, but without it being overwhelming. The healing process and the sweet ending made this to an even better read that I truly enjoyed. I would highly recommend this children’s read to children who have or even have not experienced the feelings of loss and grief. It would be a great introduction and would open conversation on this otherwise sensitive subject.
  
  
  https://bookloverblogs.com/2018/12/31...
• 
  Rhian Niblett

  I read this book during one of the RE session's at UEL and I felt it was a particularly good book to use in class when dealing with the topic of death.
  
  It would be particularly useful if a child has recently experienced a death in their life, a topic which can be very difficult to approach sensitively with the whole class. It could be used as a circle time actiity in order to create a safe and secure enironment in which to discuss the topic.
  
  The story is about a group of animal friends; a fox, an otter and a hare. The fox passes away and the book follows the otter and hare as they deal with their emotions as they come to terms with their loss. In the end, they agree that moping around is not what fox would have wanted and they plant and build things in his memory. The book has lovely illustrations and is very beautifully written. It really is touching and would certainly help the children realise that there are things they can do to feel better.
  
  I think this book would be good for all primary levels, even KS2, to introduce the topic of death, however, it would probably be best to read it as a whole class as it is quite a dark book and not one a child would want to read on their own.
• 
  Sarah Comaskey

  This book gives an insight into the ways we can help a child deal with bereavement as well as understand it and to come to terms with the loss of somebody close. The book is full of colourful and beautiful illustrations. The story is about a family- an otter, a mole, a fox and a hare who all live together as a family in the forest. As we read of the loss of one of the members of this family we see how the other members are left devastated and heartbroken with the loss of their father figure. The beautiful images used throughout the book not only demonstrate how in times of bereavement it is possible to overcome sadness through the love and support of others around us but they do this tastefully and in a heartwarming manner. It shows a how the family members go from a feeling of absolute devastation following a death to the eventual reflection of good times which were shared with the person who will always be in their hearts. This book is suitable for children of all ages but especially to those who are dealing with the bereavement of a close one. It gives a child the reassurance that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
• 
  Candice

  I plucked this off the shelf because of the appealing picture on the front. Ellen loves foxes, and it shows a fox and some other animals hugging each other. Only after beginning to read it, did I realize it is about death. And I would recommend it to read to children who have lost a loved one or to children who are beginning to ask questions about death. I would also recommend that the parent read it first to see if it is compatible with their philosophy. The story is sweet, and the illustrations colorful and appealing. Fox, Mole, Hare and Otter live together and share the responsibilities of their household. When Fox becomes very ill and then dies, the other animals are grief-stricken. Then Squirrel visits and the animals begin to reminisce about their friend and realize that Fox is still alive in their hearts and their memories and will be there always and forever. While they are reminiscing about Fox, the illustrations show the animals talking and on the sidebars are pictures of Fox cooking, or weeding the garden, or doing other tasks. A lovely book.
• 
  Lu

  TW: Mentions of loss/grief
  
  Every so often I get a compelling urge to re read this storybook, and every single time, I cry. For as long as I can remember this book has owned a special place in my heart and sometimes I just need to feel how this book makes me feel again. The story is about grief as Otter, Mole and Hare mourn their friend Fox, who they loved very dearly.
  
  I received this beautiful picture book when my dad passed away (I was 4 at the time) and somehow, through basic writing and animals as characters, it perfectly illustrates what loss feels like. The description of laughing at silly stories and then suddenly feeling that distant ache in your heart, the guilt of not sharing your laughter with that special person you lost, is so accurate. Grief hits you like a tonne of bricks sometimes, usually when you least expect it.
  
  My favourite part about this book is the ending, where they’re sat amongst the foxgloves, enjoying Otter’s pie with Fox’s grave nearby.
  
  Fox is in my heart, Always and Forever.
• 
  Christina Reid

  Make sure that you have a tissue handy before reading this!
  The story follows a family of animals who live together in the woods, each doing their part to keep their lives ticking along. Until Fox begins to get sick and, one day, he walks off into the woods and doesn't come back. His friends and family find his body and bury him, before entering a period of grieving during which it feels as if they will never be able to laugh or smile again.
  When their friend, Squirrel, comes to visit, he reminds them of the happy and ridiculous times they shared with Fox and they remember just how much Fox liked to laugh and smile.
  This is a brilliant, sensitively-written book about dealing with grief and I think it should be an essential read for any young people, even for those who have yet to experience bereavement.
• 
  Sandie

  This book was incredibly touching and real. After losing my mom recently, I checked out many books on loss to help my daughter who was having a hard time with it. This was by far the best book. I was in tears myself and had a very difficult time reading it.
  
  It was a touching story of three friends that were a family and about the loss they suffered and how devastated they were and how they finally came about to dealing with the loss.
  
  To just read the story would be fine though it is very, very sad. But I highly reccomend it to anyone who has suffered a loss. Even to adults....it spoke more to me in its few simple pages then all the big how to deal with your loss books for grown ups did.
  
  Great book!!
• 
  Jen

  My son picked this book out at our public library and I had no idea it was about animals grieving the loss of their friend Fox, but to my surprise, it was a very touching and thoughtful book on loss that I would recommend to anyone who has lost someone close to them. The illustrations are excellent and it is put together so well. My 4 year old was a bit confused on the illustrations where the animals are remembering Fox and he's shown doing things. He thought that Fox had come back to life, but I had to explain memories and pictures in your mind to him to get him to understand that concept.
• 
  Matthew

  This was a truly heart wrenching book of grieving the loss of a dear friend. I wasn't expecting a story of this nature when I opened the cover, but lo and behold that's what I got. It was well written, beautifully illustrated and very personal. It brought to mind deaths that I've experienced in my own life. It was difficult to take, but handled the situation with such delicate honesty that it made the experience joyful and celebratory rather than depressing.
• 
  Barbara

  When 3 friends lose their very special friend, Fox, they are so sad for a long, long time. Squirrel comes over to console them and cooks a lovely dinner. While she cooks they all reminisce about Fox. Memories of Fox help them to feel better. This colorfully illustrated book would be a nice selection for children ages 4 and up who are mourning the death of a friend.
• 
  Stef Garvin

  A nice tale of how forest friends lose fox. Fox had been an instrumental part of their circle of friends, so his passing had a big impact. Nice illustrations by Debi Glior created a nice environment for the characters.