“My Beloved Grandma” Picture Book Sharing | Open Dialogue, Embracing Every Response
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By Admin
Aw Pei Xin encourages parents to read picture books together with their children, and to openly accept their different responses — including emotional ones — while patiently accompanying them. Parents should avoid brushing off or ignoring their children’s questions. Instead, they should listen attentively to their thoughts, and if they don’t know how to answer, they can tell their children, “Let’s look for the answer together.”
Life education can flow like a wandering seed, carried by picture books into different communities where it takes root and grows. Recently, the Xiao En Life Education Outreach Unit collaborated with various partners to present sharing sessions on the picture book My Beloved Grandma. Led by Certified Counselor Aw Pei Xin, the sessions adopted an intimate, small-group interactive format. Unlike the typical one-way teaching style, Pei Xin used the book’s illustrations and spaces of silence to spark imagination in both adults and children, opening up conversations and reflections on life.
In one of the sessions held at Citè Book Garden, Pei Xin first invited participants to look at the cover of the book. The illustration shows Grandma riding a hot air balloon. So, where is she going? The children gave all sorts of imaginative answers: “Grandma went to heaven,” some said. Others replied, “She went to outer space,” while another chimed in, “She went to Japan…”
Later, through role-play, Pei Xin guided participants into the world of My Beloved Grandma. When showing an illustration of a mother and a little girl opening the door to Grandma’s hospital room, she posed a question: “Who do you think will speak first? And what will they say?” One child answered, “The little girl — she’ll greet Grandma first.” Another said, “It’s the mother.”
Next came an illustration of an empty hospital room. Pei Xin then asked: “Where do you think Grandma has gone?” Some participants remained silent, while a little girl softly replied, “Grandma went home.”
Through Pei Xin’s guidance in reading the picture book and engaging participants with simple questions and answers, it became clear that this cross-generational exchange on life was a form of experiential education. Instead of following the storyline rigidly, it encouraged imagination through the book’s colors, concise text, and intentional silences.
At the same time, it created time and space for parents to accompany their children, while also allowing the adults to discover their own connection with life through the story — facing loss and longing together.
Pei Xin told reporter that many picture books intentionally leave blank spaces for readers to imagine and interpret. “Picture books are filled with colors, which makes them very open-ended, and each reader brings their own interpretation.”
Having once served as a counselor for teenagers, she has learned through experience that life has no fixed formula — especially when it comes to matters of life and death, which have no definite answers. This led her to reflect on whether picture books could serve as a window, giving participants the opportunity to engage and express themselves. “For me, the most precious part is the exchange and interaction with participants,” she emphasized.
When asked at what age children are suitable to read picture books about life and death, she explained that basically, any child who can already read words can read picture books. For younger children who cannot yet read, it’s best for an adult to accompany them and read the text aloud, allowing the children to listen and observe the illustrations.
“But I don’t think every child needs to read picture books about death. If a child hasn’t yet experienced separation or loss, parents can let them read books on other themes. If, however, there’s an elderly family member who is ill, or a pet has passed away, then parents can consider reading such books with their children. The main goal is to help children hold on to more joy and hope. For children who cannot read yet, they are still capable of recognizing emotions. Parents can use the picture book as a simple guide — asking, for example: What happened to the little girl in the story? Why is she crying? Through questions and discussion, children can be encouraged to express themselves more.”
On the upcoming September 13, picture book sharing sessions for My Beloved Grandma will be held at the EkoCheras Mall in Cheras and The Starling Mall in Petaling Jaya, as part of the Popular Book Fair. On October 25 and December 13, the sharing sessions will also take place at Sunway Pyramid and Mid Valley Southkey JB respectively.
For more information about My Beloved Grandma, please visit
👉 https://bit.ly/MyBelovedGrandma.
This Original article first appeared in《 PUMEN普门 》magazine. [ Click Here ]
Aw Pei Xin encourages parents to read picture books together with their children, and to openly accept their different responses — including emotional ones — while patiently accompanying them. Parents should avoid brushing off or ignoring their children’s questions. Instead, they should listen attentively to their thoughts, and if they don’t know how to answer, they can tell their children, “Let’s look for the answer together.”
Life education can flow like a wandering seed, carried by picture books into different communities where it takes root and grows. Recently, the Xiao En Life Education Outreach Unit collaborated with various partners to present sharing sessions on the picture book My Beloved Grandma. Led by Certified Counselor Aw Pei Xin, the sessions adopted an intimate, small-group interactive format. Unlike the typical one-way teaching style, Pei Xin used the book’s illustrations and spaces of silence to spark imagination in both adults and children, opening up conversations and reflections on life.
In one of the sessions held at Citè Book Garden, Pei Xin first invited participants to look at the cover of the book. The illustration shows Grandma riding a hot air balloon. So, where is she going? The children gave all sorts of imaginative answers: “Grandma went to heaven,” some said. Others replied, “She went to outer space,” while another chimed in, “She went to Japan…”
Later, through role-play, Pei Xin guided participants into the world of My Beloved Grandma. When showing an illustration of a mother and a little girl opening the door to Grandma’s hospital room, she posed a question: “Who do you think will speak first? And what will they say?” One child answered, “The little girl — she’ll greet Grandma first.” Another said, “It’s the mother.”
Next came an illustration of an empty hospital room. Pei Xin then asked: “Where do you think Grandma has gone?” Some participants remained silent, while a little girl softly replied, “Grandma went home.”
Through Pei Xin’s guidance in reading the picture book and engaging participants with simple questions and answers, it became clear that this cross-generational exchange on life was a form of experiential education. Instead of following the storyline rigidly, it encouraged imagination through the book’s colors, concise text, and intentional silences.
At the same time, it created time and space for parents to accompany their children, while also allowing the adults to discover their own connection with life through the story — facing loss and longing together.
Pei Xin told reporter that many picture books intentionally leave blank spaces for readers to imagine and interpret. “Picture books are filled with colors, which makes them very open-ended, and each reader brings their own interpretation.”
Having once served as a counselor for teenagers, she has learned through experience that life has no fixed formula — especially when it comes to matters of life and death, which have no definite answers. This led her to reflect on whether picture books could serve as a window, giving participants the opportunity to engage and express themselves. “For me, the most precious part is the exchange and interaction with participants,” she emphasized.
When asked at what age children are suitable to read picture books about life and death, she explained that basically, any child who can already read words can read picture books. For younger children who cannot yet read, it’s best for an adult to accompany them and read the text aloud, allowing the children to listen and observe the illustrations.
“But I don’t think every child needs to read picture books about death. If a child hasn’t yet experienced separation or loss, parents can let them read books on other themes. If, however, there’s an elderly family member who is ill, or a pet has passed away, then parents can consider reading such books with their children. The main goal is to help children hold on to more joy and hope. For children who cannot read yet, they are still capable of recognizing emotions. Parents can use the picture book as a simple guide — asking, for example: What happened to the little girl in the story? Why is she crying? Through questions and discussion, children can be encouraged to express themselves more.”
On the upcoming September 13, picture book sharing sessions for My Beloved Grandma will be held at the EkoCheras Mall in Cheras and The Starling Mall in Petaling Jaya, as part of the Popular Book Fair. On October 25 and December 13, the sharing sessions will also take place at Sunway Pyramid and Mid Valley Southkey JB respectively.
For more information about My Beloved Grandma, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/MyBelovedGrandma.
This Original article first appeared in《PUMEN普门》magazine. [ Click Here ]
