No Matter What

Product Information

I would recommend this book for use within a Reception or KS1 classroom as it would be a great tool to help vulnerable children who may be suffering with anxiety to feel more calm and secure in their environment and within themselves. There is relief, but no sense that the kittens know how baseless their fears were, nor that their trepidations were simply products of their imaginations. So beautiful for a childrens book, a lovely way to show your child about love and acceptance from a young age.

Mead’s poem reminds us that you’ll always have memories of the times you shared together, good and bad. The first two examples are easy to see why a child might feel they need reassurance that they’ll still be loved–feeling awful and/or acting out when feeling grumpy or angry (grim and grumpy, and grumpy and grizzly bear). Small has all sorts of questions about love, and his mummy must reassure him that her love will never, ever run out – no matter what. Life is often described as a journey and funerals are a time to reflect on this, making this passage from The Lord of the Rings a popular choice for funerals, particularly non-denominational or humanist ceremonies. I would definitely use this book in a KS1 classroom linking strongly with PSHE looking into families and acceptance.Gliori’s (The Snow Lambs, Pure Dead Magic) rhyming text is sweet and reassuring; the parent fox always has a loving, reassuring answer to give the child. This short funeral verse is an uplifting poem about celebrating life and remembering someone who has made a positive impact on those around them. I would also use this cross-curricular in art where we can take inspiration from the illustrations of the book. There is comfort in Gliori’s pages, but it is a result of repetition and not the imagery; this is a quick fix, not an enduring one, but it eases Small’s fears and may well do the same for children. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they’ll be comforted to know your energy’s still around.

If you are thinking about making and sharing your own funeral wishes, you can find more information on our Funeral Plans and Wishes page. The poem can offer comfort during a difficult time and could be a good choice for a humanist funeral.Though this was never included in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s a good choice of funeral reading for a fan of Tolkien. The rhyming text itself is simple and sweet, making for a good read-aloud, and the adorable illustrations are colorful and appealing.