Bye, Mis' Lela

by Dorothy Carter, Harvey Stevenson (Illustrator)

Sugar Plum, an African American preschooler, must come to terms with the death of her elderly babysitter.

Genres: Picture Books, Death, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 1998

Reviews

[Margaret Carroll EDUC 378 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text to self-connection:

This book is a beautifully told story of loss and saying goodbye. For me, it reminds me of my Nana, who passed away when I was a young child. Mis' Lela reminds me of my Nana in many ways. My grandmother was a stickler for manners and education. Nana had been a kindergarten teacher. I remember her telling my older brothers to study hard as they left for school. I remember her buying me a white patent leather purse, ruffled ankle socks, a hat for Sundays, and a pair of shiny, black Mary Janes to wear. Manners were important to my Nana, she taught me to curtsey, and say please, and thank you. My time with my grandmother was short and my memories are quicksilver flashes of images and remembered smells all pieced together like a quilt. But unlike Lil' Sugar, I never had a moment to say goodbye to my Nana. I was told about her funeral after the fact so there is a part of me that feels like our goodbye was left unfinished. There was no final goodbye for me, she just disappeared from my world, permanently dividing my childhood into two parts, one where she was present in a fragrant cloud of Chanel No. 5 and a gentle Irish lilt saying I love you, and one where she was suddenly gone. I live far away from my hometown, so unlike Lil' Sugar, I don't have the comfort of saying hello as I walk past her home, but every time I smell Chanel No. 5, I smile and remember my Nana.

[Renee K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like this feel like my soul just ate nourishing, soothing, warm brown sugar oatmeal (with melted butter swirling throughout).
The Comforter was with me then, and He'll continue to be with me, and I with Him (forever).

[Courtney Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book, beautiful story about death, very straight forward, uses language that fits in the culture of the book

[Kaytlyn Witcher]

Bye Mis’ Lela is about a little girl who goes to an elderly woman to be babysat every day while her mother goes to work. School age kids around the block have all been babysat be her and say hello as they pass her house. The little girl loves Mis’ Lela. The summer before she goes off to school, Mis’ Lela passes away. The little girl and her mother go to service and say their goodbyes. Once it is the little girls turn to go to school she continues to say hello to Mis’ Lela just like all the other school kids used to do.

Classroom: I would use this in my class to talk about losing someone and how emotions are involved when someone passes away. This will help students who may have already lost someone or may I the future. This book will help students understand that we can express our emotions when we are lonely and upset and how the base way to deal with death is.

[Oana Cerchezan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be good to read to the kids to comfort them. They can write about an influential person that they have or had in their life and describe what they meant to them and things that they did with them.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sugar Plum doesn't want her Mama to leave to go to work. She especially doesn't want her Mama to leave her with Mis' Lela. But, in time, she grows to love her, for her gentle ways and her caring touch. When Mis' Lela dies, she is saddened but thankful for the time she spent with her.

[Nikki Ritchie]

This book would be good to read to the kids to comfort them. They can write about an influential person that they have or had in their life and describe what they meant to them and things that they did with them.

[Rachel Holloway]

This is also a book dealing with death, however this does not include a family member. A young girl grows close to a neighbor who ends up passing away. The girl remembers their times together and finds comfort in walking by the home of her deceased neighbor.

[Jazzmyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bye, Mis' Lela is about a child whose second mother/ caregiver passed away and she doesn't understand where she went and in the end she would still talk to her. I would read this book and relate it to any child that has lost a relative or someone in their family.

[Alana Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book uses excellent details and describing words. One of the few books I've come across that deals with death, especially the death of a friend.