Blurb

Grace lives next door to old Mr Milligan and his goat Charlie. They are the best of friends. But when Mr Milligan’s beloved goat dies, everything changes. Will Grace be able to help her friend overcome his sadness?

Grace and Mr Milligan is a heart-warming story of grief, love and the healing power of friendship.

The CBCA judges say...

This gentle, beautifully told story explores themes of friendship, loss, grief and healing. The carefully crafted text reveals genuine friendship between the two main characters, their shared joys and their love for constant companion, Charlie, the goat. There is use of repeated phrases, humour, alliteration and rich, descriptive language. The narrative transitions sensitively, allowing readers to realise the passing of Charlie in their own time. A gentle pace offers opportunities to pause and reflect, whilst the use of the progression of the days of the week effectively conveys the passing of time. The pairing of the text and dynamic, sensitive illustrations is faultless and deftly edited throughout. The final double spread is wordless, depicting the cycle of life.

A Reading Time reviewer says...

Grace loves living near the sea, next door to Mr Milligan and his goat Charlie. The three of them regularly spend time together: they go to the beach, eat strawberries, grapes and apples and with a large dollop of cream. All is fine until Charlie get sick and dies of old age. Mr Milligan loses his enthusiasm for life which worries Grace. After some time, her solution is a picnic for Mr Milligan where she restores his equilibrium with lots of memories and… a large dollop of cream...

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