Ebook
A gorgeously illustrated story about loss, community, and bringing comfort to others.
Every year on All Souls Day, Mara and her grandparents visit homes in their neighborhood to bring comfort and a song to those mourning the death of a loved one. But this year, Mara and Nene have lost Popi. As Nene leads Mara through their yearly ritual, Mara compares her own grief to that of each neighbor they visit. Then she catches sight of the frozen tears on Nene's face.
Setting aside the bitterness icing her heart to help her beloved grandmother, Mara rekindles Popi's song and brings her community together to honor him.
Popi's All Souls Song is a poignant, timeless story with luminous art, drawing readers into the realization that no person's loss or grief is bigger or more important than anyone else's. And when we bring comfort to others, we experience comfort ourselves.
Backmatter includes an author's note with a brief history of the All Souls Day holiday and traditions associated with the day.
C.K. Malone is the author of A Costume for Charly, Popi's All Souls Song, and other books for children. They are a bigender award-winning educator and literature coach at the secondary level. When not grading essays or helping students, they're busy helping design culturally and LGBTQIA+ responsive units for the district and working as a climate and culture coach. C.K. also coaches and advises through alignment with the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network. They continue this work in the literary world by advocating for all to be given the space to tell their own stories.