The Heart and the Bottle: An Uplifting Children's Picture Book of Grief and Resilience

A beautiful simple yet profound story of love, loss and ultimately of hope. With short sentences and exquisite pictures that speak more than a thousand words. A fathers love towards his daughter, and a daughters devoted love towards her father. He is constantly watching, caring and overseeing, guiding her, teaching her, instructing her in embracing and bringing to life before her the deep well and the excitement of riches of life, the universe and everything. Until he is no longer there, no longer sitting in his chair, and the pervasive darkness of grief descends upon his little girl. Who devastated locks away her heart, her ability to love. Yet she learns through another, someone smaller who still excited, and curious about the world teaches and practically assists in putting back her heart she had secured away into a bottle. Unselfish love brings its own reward. Although there is much happiness in receiving love, there is even greater happiness in giving or showing, love to others. That the epitome of love, pure, rich and a ceaseless flowing that love that will never end. When we begin to give our selves away, we find out immediately how good that is. Yet from a genuine caring heart. When we give joy we receive joy, when we give hope we receive hope, when we give love we receive love, and when we give mercy we receive mercy. Everything we give away multiplies itself. And we rediscover the joy, gift and privilege of being alive.

Bought this to read with my five year old son as a way into discussing our loss of my father in law. We love Jeffers' other books but I loved the way that death is in no way explicitly mentioned - there's simply an empty chair - but my son immediately made the link to his own situation and he initiated a conversation about the activities of the characters in the story and his own reading with his granddad as we read. It was important to me that we treated his grief on his own terms, and this book was a beautiful way in. We read it a few times and I think the mixture of lightness of touch, serious approach to children's grief and ultimate positivity really helped my son at a tough time. It helped his parents too!

Love it great story and animation

I almost cried when I first read this, and I know colleagues (I am a teacher) that couldn't finish the book. It is a very beautiful book (I would say, undoubtedly Jeffers' best book) and it is the best rendition (children's book or otherwise) of how death can constrict someone's life. Do not underestimate the delicacy, poigniancy and power of how jeffers illustrates and tells this. On first reading, I closed it, and stated that I would never buy it and never read it again. It was too moving - too horrible! Furthermore, I argued that it is not aimed at children. Thinking of children that I knew who knew of loss, this book would not offer them anything (as the story is of how a child's heart is broken and it is not until adulthood when they have their own child that their heart is somewhat repaired). I still stand by that, however, it does have a place in terms of helping children (or anyone) understand grief.

I really enjoyed this book and the emotional subtext, as well as the really lovely illustrations. However, it was a bit confusing for my 3 year old who can normally follow stories easily. It doesn't read that well when reading aloud and doesn't have much of a narrative.

A wonderful book for a young child, we've read it so many times, it's lovely and heart-warming. A good way to introduce a concept of loss (death) in a very lovely, clever way that children can understand and apply in other life situations (like a loss of a toy or a pet). I will definitely keep this book for my children and grandchildren, it's a classic and is clever, funny and heart-warming just as you would expect from the author! <3

I had recently chatted with a stranger online, who took the time to speak and they just asked the right questions. She then said that she had the perfect book that suited me to a tee, this was that book and i could not have said it better myself. It is all to easy to hide our hearts away from others, we experience hurt and loss and at the time it seems the logical thing to do. I put my heart in a bottle back in 2001, tried to take it out in 2011 but i got hurt even worse than before. In 2014, i took it out and started to accept any hurt and discuss my feelings and learned how to protect my heart without the need of a bottle but i know the bottle is there still..... ...but it is empty!

An excellent read...I'm never disappointed reading an Oliver Jeffers book to my child..a heartwarming, thoughtful and a lovely way to explain to a young child about a parent getting old and then no longer being around anymore and the grief felt through a child's heart and how a simple act can help you cope with the loss of a loved on. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Very touching and kind.

Thumbs up to both - quality of the book and the content

Questo libro è BELLISSIMO come tutti i bei libri per bambini, trasmette un messaggio che gli adulti hanno dimenticato... Affronta il tema del lutto e della perdita in modo delicato e poetico sottolineando l'importanza di rimanere aperti e vulnerabili piuttosto che chiusi e arroccati. La protagonista, in seguito a un dolore, decide di chiudere il suo cuore in una bottiglia, per proteggerlo da ulteriori traumi. Crescendo, però, si accorge che in questo modo riesce a sopravvivere in modo meccanico ma non è più in grado di sentire e sperimentare la bellezza, le emozioni, i sentimenti... Io ne ho comprate veramente tante copie e lo sto regalando da anni a tutti quelli che ritengo sufficientemente sensibili per leggerlo e apprezzarlo :)

I originally came across this book for my daughter's reading/writing lesson at school. It is such a beautiful book, both in its text as well as illustrations, that I had to purchase a copy for our home library. It is a bittersweet story but with a hopeful ending. The author takes such a difficult topic (death of a loved one, depression and sadness that follow) and tells a story that even a child (of reading age) can understand. The book is a great one even for adults. In fact, there are likely a lot of adults that this book would resonate beautifully with.

Bonito, rompedor, descorazonador, decir adiós, dejar ir, la muerte misma, vamos. Formato muy peque y tapa dura, bien editado. .