The Wishes We Send to the Stars by Erin Laraway

A Gentle Picture Book About Grief, Memories, and the Love That Stays

There are some things children ask about that don’t really have an easy answer. Where do people go when they die? Can they still hear us? What happens to all the things we still want to tell them?

The Wishes We Send to the Stars offers a very gentle way into those conversations. Mackenzie Rose shares a close bond with her Nana Linda and Papa Mike through bedtime routines, birthday celebrations, Christmas mornings, and all those ordinary family moments that become precious memories. But when loss enters the family, Mackenzie and her mother have to figure out how to live with the sadness while still holding on to the love.

I especially liked the idea of the stars becoming a place for all those little things we still want to say. A memory. A wish. A story. Maybe even a very simple, I miss you.

The story doesn’t try to give children one perfect explanation for grief. Instead, it leaves room for questions, feelings, memories, and whatever helps a family feel connected. That’s important because children don’t all experience loss in the same way, and sometimes they need permission to simply miss someone without having to understand everything.

And I love that the idea can continue after the last page. You can look at the stars together, share a favorite memory, make a wish, or simply sit quietly for a while. Sometimes you don’t need a big conversation. Sometimes looking up at the sky together is enough.

The book was inspired by Erin’s own experiences with loss and her desire to give children a gentle way to talk about death and the people they miss. At its heart, though, this is a story about love rather than loss. The kind of love that stays in family recipes, traditions, stories, photographs, and all the little things we carry with us.

Why you need this book

• Gives children gentle language for talking about grief
• Makes space for questions and different feelings
• Shows that sadness and love can exist together
• Celebrates family memories and traditions
• Encourages connection after loss
• Offers a comforting bedtime or quiet-time read
• Opens conversations without trying to provide one “right” answer

Try this at home

Try a Wish to the Stars ritual. Go outside together and choose a star. Each person can share a memory, a wish, or something they would like to say to someone they miss. Younger children can draw their wish instead. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes a simple ritual gives children a way to express something they don’t quite know how to put into words yet.

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The Wishes We Send to the Stars is a tender choice for families navigating grief and for anyone looking for gentle language around loss, remembrance, and the love that remains.

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