★ "MacLachlan (Wondrous Rex) creates deeply sympathetic characters in a few sentences, and invites readers to share in the lives of a family nurtured by the natural world—and comforted by it in their grief."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ "This poignant, tender tale, economically told, brims with love and kindness, not to mention respect—for elders and for nature—and is sure to evoke empathy among readers and listeners. Kids who've lost close family members may feel reassured that memories of their loved ones will persist in a sweet manner. The gentle, textured illustrations, created with watercolors, pastels, and pencil, are lovely, depicting the various birds named herein with colorful majesty. . . . Warm, calming, affectionate, quietly soaring." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"[A] reflection on life and love. . . . Sheban’s soft-edged, textured illustrations . . . add a calm pleasantness to the story. The resulting tale is a gentle one of love and sadness, but it also contains hope that another, possibly better, life exists after death."—Booklist
"Text and illustrations interplay beautifully, as in the quiet image of a sad Milo being hugged when he discovers that Grandfather has gone. A sensitive portrayal of family, love, life, and death presented in a child- friendly manner. "—The Horn Book
"Sheban’s impressionistic watercolor and pastel illustrations ably capture MacLachlan’s contemplative mood; rendering characters and their environment in the same textures underscores the family’s shared identification as part of rather than apart from nature . . . "—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"When Grandfather Flew is a moving and intimate book with an underlying sense of gravity. For anyone who’s ever looked to the sky as they remembered someone they loved, it will be a story that resonates."—BookPage
"An elegant telling, combined with beautifully rendered illustrations create a naturalistic and positive glimpse of life and death. An excellent book to teach appreciation of our elders, as well as a study in grief and hope."—School Library Journal
