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Last Week
A child cherishes every second of their grandmother's last week of life in this sensitive portrayal of medical assistance in dying (MAiD).
“In this last week, there are seven days.” That's one hundred and sixty-eight hours. Or ten thousand and eighty minutes. Or six hundred four thousand and eight hundred seconds. A child counts every second because this is their grandmother’s last week of life.
As friends and family come to call on Flippa—as Gran is fondly known—the child observes the strange mix of grief, humor, awkwardness, anger and nostalgia that attends these farewell visits. Especially precious are the times they have alone, just the two of them. Flippa, the child sees, has made up her mind. Like time, she is unstoppable. So as Sunday approaches, the child must find a way to come to terms with Flippa’s decision. What is the best way to say goodbye?
Beautifully illustrated in black and white—with one unexpectedly joyful splash of color—Last Week is a nuanced look at what death with dignity can mean to a whole family, with an afterword and additional resources by MAiD expert Dr. Stefanie Green.
Key Text Features
illustrations
afterword
explanation
resources
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
“In this last week, there are seven days.” That's one hundred and sixty-eight hours. Or ten thousand and eighty minutes. Or six hundred four thousand and eight hundred seconds. A child counts every second because this is their grandmother’s last week of life.
As friends and family come to call on Flippa—as Gran is fondly known—the child observes the strange mix of grief, humor, awkwardness, anger and nostalgia that attends these farewell visits. Especially precious are the times they have alone, just the two of them. Flippa, the child sees, has made up her mind. Like time, she is unstoppable. So as Sunday approaches, the child must find a way to come to terms with Flippa’s decision. What is the best way to say goodbye?
Beautifully illustrated in black and white—with one unexpectedly joyful splash of color—Last Week is a nuanced look at what death with dignity can mean to a whole family, with an afterword and additional resources by MAiD expert Dr. Stefanie Green.
Key Text Features
illustrations
afterword
explanation
resources
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
59 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2022
2 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Bill Richardson
77 books51 followersBill Richardson was born and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba on a quiet little street. He admits to being a shy kid, a quality that has carried over into his adulthood. With his two brothers and the neighborhood children, Bill would play hide and seek, red rover and tag. They got into the usual sorts of mischief: garden raids and snowball fights.
Bill has always taken comfort in reading. As a child his tastes were very diverse, ranging from the adventures of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the Happy Hollisters, and the Enid Blyton books to comics featuring Archie, Richie Rich, Little Lulu, Casper, Batman and Superman. The Alice in Wonderland books were favorites, and he still loves them today.
Bill’s parents also influenced his reading habits at a young age. His mother introduced him to a six-volume set called Our Bookhouse, an anthology of readings from many different sources; and Bill’s father would share his favorite poetry with the family. And Bill took to reading poetry as well: A Child’s Garden of Verses and the A.A. Milne poems. He claims that he didn’t start to read with anything like purpose or intensity until he reached adolescence. Many of the classic children’s books, such as The Wind in the Willows and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he came to as an adult.
In 1976, Bill received his B.A. from the University of Winnipeg. He went on to pursue a Master of Library Sciences at UBC, graduating in 1980. In 1998, Bill was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Winnipeg. For six years he worked as a children’s librarian.
Bill is well known in Canada as a CBC Radio host. He’s also made many freelance contributions to both network and regional shows. In 1992, Bill began hosting a summer show called Crosswords, which would continue for four years. He next became the guest host of a classical music request show, and when the show moved to Vancouver in 1996, he was chosen as the show’s permanent host; it became known as As You Like It, to reflect Bill’s interest in the music and letters of his audience. In 1997, Bill became the host of a new program, Richardson’s Roundup. The Roundup is very interactive with its listening audience.
Bill has always dabbled at writing. Even as a child he had a vivid presentiment that this is what he would do. His columns have appeared in The Globe and Mail, Western Living Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, and Xtra West Magazine. Bill won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in 1994.
In 2000, Bill published his first novel for young adults. After Hamelin tells the tale of Penelope, the only child to escape the lure of the infamous Pied Piper. Now grown to the ripe age of 101, the feisty Penelope recounts her fantastic adventure to rescue the other children of her village from the clutches of the nasty Piper. Bill’s wonderful story has gone on to earn more than a dozen awards and nominations.
Bill makes frequent public appearances reading poetry, narrating musical works, giving keynote speeches and signing books. As time slips away, Bill hopes to use as much of it as he can catch. He believes that “if you’re going to write, you damage yourself if you don't pay attention to the ideas that come your way and try to make something of them. It’s a kind of responsibility, which isn’t to say that you’ll write well, but you still need to make the effort.”
Bill has always taken comfort in reading. As a child his tastes were very diverse, ranging from the adventures of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the Happy Hollisters, and the Enid Blyton books to comics featuring Archie, Richie Rich, Little Lulu, Casper, Batman and Superman. The Alice in Wonderland books were favorites, and he still loves them today.
Bill’s parents also influenced his reading habits at a young age. His mother introduced him to a six-volume set called Our Bookhouse, an anthology of readings from many different sources; and Bill’s father would share his favorite poetry with the family. And Bill took to reading poetry as well: A Child’s Garden of Verses and the A.A. Milne poems. He claims that he didn’t start to read with anything like purpose or intensity until he reached adolescence. Many of the classic children’s books, such as The Wind in the Willows and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he came to as an adult.
In 1976, Bill received his B.A. from the University of Winnipeg. He went on to pursue a Master of Library Sciences at UBC, graduating in 1980. In 1998, Bill was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Winnipeg. For six years he worked as a children’s librarian.
Bill is well known in Canada as a CBC Radio host. He’s also made many freelance contributions to both network and regional shows. In 1992, Bill began hosting a summer show called Crosswords, which would continue for four years. He next became the guest host of a classical music request show, and when the show moved to Vancouver in 1996, he was chosen as the show’s permanent host; it became known as As You Like It, to reflect Bill’s interest in the music and letters of his audience. In 1997, Bill became the host of a new program, Richardson’s Roundup. The Roundup is very interactive with its listening audience.
Bill has always dabbled at writing. Even as a child he had a vivid presentiment that this is what he would do. His columns have appeared in The Globe and Mail, Western Living Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, and Xtra West Magazine. Bill won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in 1994.
In 2000, Bill published his first novel for young adults. After Hamelin tells the tale of Penelope, the only child to escape the lure of the infamous Pied Piper. Now grown to the ripe age of 101, the feisty Penelope recounts her fantastic adventure to rescue the other children of her village from the clutches of the nasty Piper. Bill’s wonderful story has gone on to earn more than a dozen awards and nominations.
Bill makes frequent public appearances reading poetry, narrating musical works, giving keynote speeches and signing books. As time slips away, Bill hopes to use as much of it as he can catch. He believes that “if you’re going to write, you damage yourself if you don't pay attention to the ideas that come your way and try to make something of them. It’s a kind of responsibility, which isn’t to say that you’ll write well, but you still need to make the effort.”
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 3, 2022
The last week in the life of the grandmother of the main character, a child. Book about assisted suicide. In Canada it's called Medical Assistance in Dying or MAiD. Very poignant.
September 3, 2022
🍎Teacher’s Corner🍎
Picture books have a subtle and transformational power about them that is often taken for granted. It is assumed that illustrated books are just for children, or just for children of a certain age. However, children’s books often have an ageless quality to them and that can have a profound effect on adults as well as on the children to whom they are being read.
It has been a while since I have been so deeply affected by an illustrated book, and I admit, that this one is a tearjerker. That 60 pages, so carefully and tenderly illustrated can have that kind of impact is a testament to the transcendent nature of the human experience: we all love people who at some time have to leave us. In Bill Richardson’s book, “Last Week,” we live a grandchild’s last week with their grandmother, who will be released through MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) at week’s end. Evocatively delivered through the perspective of a child, who counts down to the second how much time they have left together, trying to make sense of the end of a life so richly lived, and of the farewells given by people who have been affected by the grandmother and who show deep appreciation for her being. Respectfully rendered, this is not only a story about the gift of MAID in helping our loved ones free themselves from suffering, it also a story about grief and about the power that love holds in our lives.
-Teacher Tips-
* With older students, or if the topic comes up in a younger class - use this book as a lead into a discussion about MAiD, what it is, and why it exists
* A good lead-in to talking about the people in our lives who support us and love us and how they impact our lives
* An excellent book to facilitate talk around grief and why we grieve
Picture books have a subtle and transformational power about them that is often taken for granted. It is assumed that illustrated books are just for children, or just for children of a certain age. However, children’s books often have an ageless quality to them and that can have a profound effect on adults as well as on the children to whom they are being read.
It has been a while since I have been so deeply affected by an illustrated book, and I admit, that this one is a tearjerker. That 60 pages, so carefully and tenderly illustrated can have that kind of impact is a testament to the transcendent nature of the human experience: we all love people who at some time have to leave us. In Bill Richardson’s book, “Last Week,” we live a grandchild’s last week with their grandmother, who will be released through MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) at week’s end. Evocatively delivered through the perspective of a child, who counts down to the second how much time they have left together, trying to make sense of the end of a life so richly lived, and of the farewells given by people who have been affected by the grandmother and who show deep appreciation for her being. Respectfully rendered, this is not only a story about the gift of MAID in helping our loved ones free themselves from suffering, it also a story about grief and about the power that love holds in our lives.
-Teacher Tips-
* With older students, or if the topic comes up in a younger class - use this book as a lead into a discussion about MAiD, what it is, and why it exists
* A good lead-in to talking about the people in our lives who support us and love us and how they impact our lives
* An excellent book to facilitate talk around grief and why we grieve
May 1, 2022
This is a beautiful, sensitive, and touching book about how a grandchild experiences the last week of grandmother's life, leading up to her planned medical assisted death. It includes an afterward written by a leading doctor in this field about medically assisted death along with resources for parents.
September 28, 2022
Honest, touching, gentle, true. I would expect nothing less from Bill Richardson. Could I read it to a child? I hope so, but I am not sure I would be strong enough. I have had 2 friends choose an assisted death and I support that choice whole heartedly. But it is hard for the ones left behind.
April 28, 2023
I didn't know this was a kids book. But it's impressive. I've been studying the Maid program and have read several adult books on the topic. So good to see it from a child's perspective. Good for Bill Richardson cbc radio host for writing this. I love that it's simple for kids without loads of medical details.
October 3, 2023
I read picture books almost every day of my life, and I think this is the first one I have ever read that addresses the topic of assisted death.
Of course, that is not legal everywhere in the U.S., because we are barbaric, but this Canadian book handles the subject gently and honestly. Beautifully done.
Of course, that is not legal everywhere in the U.S., because we are barbaric, but this Canadian book handles the subject gently and honestly. Beautifully done.
May 5, 2022
A beautiful little book, written to help children understand Medical Assistance in Dying. It is tender as a young boy spends his Grandmother’s last week with her before she elects to pass away. Gentle and sensitive - I found myself tearing up.
October 19, 2022
sensitive, succinct and simply nails the grief journey from the perspective of a child. The afterword is an excellent resource for explaining MAID (medical assistance in death) to a child. Highly recommend this short resource, excellent graphics as well
Want to read
November 23, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
May 20, 2022
A comforting hug, enclosed in a little book. A warm hand to hold while understanding a child's reality of a grandparent's last week leading up to her assisted death.
November 3, 2022
Very short, very sensitive depiction of death by medical assistance.
December 1, 2023
Beyond fabulous.
Well written and gently and thoughtfully illustrated.
A brilliant, short read, for junior people, (and for those of us on the far far side of junior!) on the topic of assisted dying. A child’s Grandmother is dying, and this is the story of the child, and the whole family and community, getting through the week that she has left to live. They celebrate her life, they share stories, they have quiet time together. The child has figured out the math on how many days, hours, minutes and seconds there are until the Grandmother departs – and makes every second worth living.
Bravo! This is a great read!
Well written and gently and thoughtfully illustrated.
A brilliant, short read, for junior people, (and for those of us on the far far side of junior!) on the topic of assisted dying. A child’s Grandmother is dying, and this is the story of the child, and the whole family and community, getting through the week that she has left to live. They celebrate her life, they share stories, they have quiet time together. The child has figured out the math on how many days, hours, minutes and seconds there are until the Grandmother departs – and makes every second worth living.
Bravo! This is a great read!
January 4, 2024
A beautiful gentle book about assisted death. I appreciate the resources and more information at the end of the book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews