Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden, The

When a tsunami hits their village, young Makio loses his father and his neighbour Mr. Hirota loses his daughter. Mr. Hirota builds a phone booth with a disconnected phone to speak to his deceased daughter and soon other villagers make use of it, too. When Makio gets up the courage to “call” his father, it helps him find his voice and heal from his grief and loss. This award-winning Canadian picture book, based on the wind phone established in Japan, can be used as a read-aloud, for counselling sessions, or an addition to a school or classroom library. It deals with sensitive issues of loss, personal and communal grief, and healing in an age-appropriate manner.