When Grandpa dies, his slide show helps young Sam to come to terms with his death.

At first I disliked this book, but by the end of the book, I really enjoyed it. One reason I disliked this book in the beginning was because I thought it would be boring. A few pages in, I was able to make a personal connection. My grandparents and I have done the exact thing of looking at a projector of old pictures of my mom and her family growing up, just as Sam and Douglas did. I still thought the story line was boring because it kept explaining the photos and it didn’t really grab my attention. Finally the plot intensified when the grandfather passed away. I thought the characters were well developed in the fact that it showed the reaction of how the age of Sam and Douglass would react. For example, the younger brother Douglass was probably 3-5 years of age. When the mom came home to tell the boys what happened Sam explained, “Douglass acted silly.” On the other hand, Sam who was probably around 7 years old, was sad and in disbelief and still longed for his grandfather. For example, Sam would continuously ask, “Will we ever have a slide show again?” The illustrator also gave a little insight to the relationship of the grandparents. They were cuddled on the couch together watching the slideshow in one picture. Overall, this book shows what it’s like to lose a loved one and how everyone reacts differently. ( )

Summary:
When Sam and Douglas visit their grandparents, it is a tradition to sit and watch Grandpa put on a slideshow. The slideshows exhibit pictures from different occasions, such as when Sam and Douglas' parents were growing up, and more recent pictures of Sam and Douglas with their family. Sam and Douglas always enjoyed Grandpa saying "next slide, please" in a low and calm voice. One day Sam and Douglas went to stay overnight, although there was no slideshow. Grandpa had been ill and in the hospital for a few days, and ended up passing away. The children attended the funeral, and wondered about Grandpa in the casket, and they knew he would be missed very much. That evening, Sam, Douglas, their mother, and grandma all sat on the couch and watched a slideshow labeled "miscellaneous." They continued the tradition of saying "next slide, please" and they reminisced about fun times being with the family.

The big message of this book is how to cope with death and remember the happy times with loved ones who passed away. I like how this book is very relate able, as most people have experienced loss. The illustrations were very detailed, showing different people in Sam and Douglas' family. I like how the slideshows also showed pictures of when the grandparents were young, and the first "picture grandpa took of [grandma]." This is a sad book, but is uplifting to remind kids and readers to carry on traditions and think of happy memories. ( )