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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
I must have been about 8 at the time: a close childhood friend suddenly disappeared from my life. I learned later that he died of leukemia, but I never understood why or where he’d gone. I was sad and missed him, but in the 1960s, there was no outlet to help young people deal with grief. In Debbie Austin’s Heart Uplifted, Ellie shares her story of grief. She’s a woodland fairy; her name means "beloved" and she definitely is loved. But she’s lost her home and someone she loves in a storm that tore through the woods. She is burdened with grief and wonders what her purpose is in life. “I am wondering what this life is all about,” she cries. She knows that the one she loves is in heaven, but she needs them with her and that makes her sad. She is told: “When you lose someone you love, so many things can change./ You long for them to be with you each and every day.” Grief is a difficult journey, but with God’s love and guidance, we can find a way.
Debbie Austin’s picture book, Heart Uplifted, provides young readers with a caring look at the difficult issue of grief. The story is told like a fantasy, with the main character being a fairy. It’s written in rhyming verse, giving it a lyrical lilt that will soothe the young reader. The language is simple to help young readers improve their reading skills. The illustrations are superb: bright, bold, colorful, and full of life. Young readers will be entranced by the story and learn, as I finally did, that losing a loved one is a part of life, albeit a difficult part to be sure. The author used powerful messages from the Bible, strengthening the Christian faith in young readers. Love, faith, and the power of helping others helped Ellie through her trauma and loss, and it’ll help young readers, too.