How High is Heaven

Emmy Award--winning journalist and ABC News anchor Davis looks at the hereafter through the eyes of a child. A young, brown-skinned boy is missing his deceased grandmother. 'Every day she's watching over me,' he notes and wonders how he can get to heaven to visit her. He has much he would 'like to tell her' and 'lots of questions too.' He considers building a staircase to heaven (the artwork depicts one made of Lego bricks), making himself a pair of wings, bouncing his way up to kingdom come using a trampoline, and journeying there via hot air balloon. When the boy, along with his sister and his (apparently) single mom, makes a long-distance trip to visit his grandfather, he hopes their airplane ride will take him to the pearly gates; luckily, it doesn't! It is only while attending church with his family one day that he finally discovers the single way to get to heaven: 'It's not how far you travel, / or not just the things you do. / It's all about faith and the grace of God / that brings this gift to you.' A double-page spread goes on to describe how we must live our lives if we want paradise to be our reward, and the book ends with an interesting perspective on heaven that brings readers back down to earth. Davis' rhyming text is sweet and heartfelt but often struggles for scansion. While no particular religion is mentioned, the book's point of view is manifestly Christian. Fleming's bright and airy digital paintings faithfully reproduce the textures of traditional mediums and feed the imagination with forays into gentle whimsy. The main cast of characters is Black; some illustrations include diverse representation. An age-appropriate, biblically grounded, comforting picture book that can help answer kids' questions about the afterlife. -- Kirkus Reviews