I wrote the first draft of I Built a Rocket Ship in November of 2021. We’d all been through COVID lockdowns, daily hospitalization and death counts, and the world was feeling very, very dark. I was also thinking about friends lost too soon to illness, leaving little ones behind in sudden, single-parent households.

Cover of I Built a Rocket Ship — Publisher: Kids Can Press

Death is both finite and abstract, two things that can be challenging to explain to kids. I was raised Catholic, and remember a vague gesturing up at the sky when people spoke in hushed tones of those no longer with us.

In the book, a child has suffered the loss of someone very special to them. They lean into their memories, repurposing a craft project into something new, a rocket ship that will get them close to the one they’re missing.

The child’s dad is present and supportive but allows them to process things in their own way. It’s part of the tricky dance we do as adults, trying to determine how much information to provide, and how to explain difficult concepts to little ones who are still making sense of the world. We know the intention of the words we choose, but have no idea how kids are interpreting them.

Loss is something that takes time and patience to process. Over the course of the story, we see new memories begin to take shape, while still honouring those shared with the loved one who is so deeply missed.

For me, there’s a delicate beauty in children’s picture books. And an incredible opportunity, where a whole world is conjured up in few words balanced by intentional illustrations.

But, this is not a book for most kids. Most families hope to never need a book like I Built a Rocket Ship. It’s not one you take to a baby shower, or buy for a pregnant colleague. Some books have a very specific audience and this is one of those books.

The dedication I wrote for it is simple, it says: “If you are missing someone you love, I wrote this book for you.”

We all lose people, and it’s never an easy thing to navigate. If someone you know is going through a loss, no matter how old they are, I hope you pick up a copy of this book, write a memory of the person inside, and give it to them.

Along with the lasagna.

Looking for more books on tough topics? Check out Dark Cloud, my picture book about how depression looks and feels.

Losing a loved one is hard. Explaining it to a kid is even harder.

Illustration notes: Should you note or not?