Jennica Lounsbury – illustratör

It seems like everyone but Annika has an imaginary friend. But not for long!

She puts up posters around her neighborhood inviting imaginary friends to her house for tryouts. But even though she gets some good applicants, none of them are the right fit. When she tells her friends about it, she’s surprised to learn they don’t have imaginary friends either! Annika knows what to do: she sets up a Meet Your Imaginary Friend Day for her class. At first she’s worried the imaginary friends won't show up...but they’re just fashionably late. Soon many of her friends are meeting their perfect match—and Annika hopes she’ll get her chance too.

A grieving child builds a rocket ship as a way to process feelings. For fans of Oliver Jeffers’s The Heart and the Bottle.

A young child addresses a loved one who is no longer there, while narrating the process of building a rocket ship in the backyard. Dad is nearby, as the child explains their progress and decisions about what to pack as they build. Musing that something is still missing, the child remembers past building projects, stargazing and a warm and loving relationship with the person they’ve lost. Now, this person feels as far away as the stars - which is where the rocket is aimed.

Anna Lazowski’s powerful and profound story is an emotionally sensitive, child-centered exploration of death and grief. Beautifully told in an understated but immediate narrative voice, and with a soothing refrain of “I built a rocket ship out in the backyard,” it’s ultimately a comforting story for children about finding their own way to honor someone they’ve lost. It also serves as a reminder to adults that children grieve in unexpected ways. Who has died is left open to interpretation, making the book relatable to different readers and situations. Jennica Lounsbury’s soft-focus illustrations in muted pastels keep the mood gentle and tender. This picture book has excellent connections to social-emotional learning. It’s sure to touch the heart of anyone who’s ever lost a loved one, even as it celebrates the memories they hold dear.