Where Do We Go?

By: James F. Weinsier
Illustrated by: Cliff Beaman
Publisher: Wondrous Publications LLC
Publication Date: August 2008
ISBN: 978-0615238050
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: March 2010

There are so many questions young children ask their parents - may I have a snack? Can I go out and play? Are we there yet? In the constant onslaught of queries, there is one that inevitably comes up – where do we go when we die? How will you answer this important question?

Where Do We Go? tackles the difficult question of what happens after life in a gentle and reassuring way. Bright, cheerful illustrations accompany rhyming text that never mention the words “death” or “dying.” Indeed, the book opens with the question,

“Where do we go when we leave this Earth?
Everybody wants to know!
Is it frosty and cold –
all year round with lots and lots of snow?”

The book is full of children quizzically imagining where we might go, and the myriad of possibilities that only a child could envision. Thoughts of barbecues, swimming pools, and even amusement parks are given as places we might go:

“and the splashing from the theme parks there,
on a rainbow colored day,
Could it possibly be those rain showers here
That dampen us at play?”

Where Do We Go? includes additional questions that children are likely to ask such as, How long will it take to get there? Will we stay the same age forever? Will our pets be there waiting for us? along with several other common questions.

This book is suitable for parents/children of all faiths as no specific mention of God and/or religious beliefs are given. Instead, it provides an overview of what life after death might be like and helps children by asking the questions that they wonder about. While no answers are given (do we really know what Heaven is like?) youngsters should feel at ease after reading this book, particularly after learning:

“You really, truly never go anywhere,
no matter what you do,
Because ‘forever you live’
In the hearts of all those who love you!”

Quill says: A gentle tale that tackles a subject many parents find difficult to discuss with their children.