Charleston, SC, Aug. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anyone who has ever faced the loss of a pet understands the depths of heartache such an experience brings. For children, especially, navigating such losses can be confusing, and the questions they find themselves asking are no less meaningful than the ones we ask as adults.

Author Babs Cafarella and Illustrator Nicole Gomez team up in an incredible new picture book on the subject, God Hears You Up on the Roof, which brings light into the dark spaces of grief. God Hears You Up on the Roof begins with two children who have recently experienced the tragic loss of a canine family member. As they process their grief together, they climb to the roof of their home, ask God why their friend has to die, and wait. And listen.

Although answers to such questions rarely come from parted clouds or proclamations from the sky, sometimes they do come from the small, subtle realizations we experience as we quiet our hearts. So it is for the characters in this story. This book is a heartfelt, honest confrontation of grief that points young readers toward the hope that tragedy can be softened with trust.

Immersive, full-color illustrations reveal soft, watercolor-style scenes that feel like treasured memories. Each page offers children a chance to step into intimate moments that honor sadness, cherish the bonds of family, and speak to the goodness of having loved. God Hears You Up on the Roof is a special book that will help families face loss together, helping children and parents alike build a strong, clear connection to their own emotions.

God Hears You Up on the Roof: Navigating Loss is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about the author and illustrator, please visit any of their social media platforms.

Babs Cafarella, Author

Instagram: @babsharrisoncafarella

Nicole Gomez, Illustrator

Instagram: @NicoleGomezArt

About the Author and Illustrator:

Barbara (Babs) Cafarella is an early childhood educator who loves imagining new worlds and stories for her students to explore. She writes with the hope that “God will reach each child as their hearts are open to these stories.” Babs has two children of her own, along with six granddaughters whom she adores reading to. She currently lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Nicole Gomez is an illustrator, painter, and muralist who has studied at esteemed art institutions in Richmond, Virginia and Florence, Italy. She loves beachcombing, crafting, and enjoying the sunshine at her home in Richmond, or along the coast. Nicole is married to Patryk, and their home includes four beloved pets—two cats and two dogs—who always keep them on their toes.

Available for interviews: Author, Babs Carafella

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• God Hears You Up on the Roof

Leah Joseph
Palmetto Publishing
publicity@palmettopublishing.com