Granny Left Me A Rocket Ship: A Modern Guide to the Cards, Spreads, and Secrets of Tarot

From award-winning author Heather Smith, a heartwarming, moving story about loss - and remembering.

When Granny dies, a young child and their family have a hole in their hearts. They find it helps them fill it to remember her through the things she left behind. To the father, she left a tuba, and to the mother, a locket. To the sister, she left a microscope, and to the brother, a record collection. To the main character, though, Granny left something different: a world of adventure, that they visit with their memories. Through imaginative play with items that belonged to Granny, the child travels near and far. And Granny is right beside them, along for the ride.

Using spare prose, award-winning author Heather Smith’s beautiful story about loss, grief and memories presents an honest yet optimistic view of how to joyfully remember loved ones after they’re gone. Ashley Barron’s layered cut-paper collage illustrations bring fun to the story, while colorfully capturing the feel of a child’s imagination in flight. This book provides a gentle, thoughtful entryway into a conversation with children - or adults - about losing a loved one, and how to hold them close. It’s a wonderful resource for focusing on social-emotional learning, and an excellent representation for a character education lesson on resilience.

Heather Smith is an award-winning author of seven picture books, including The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden, A Plan for Pops and Granny Left Me a Rocket Ship. She is also the author of four young adult novels and three middle-grade novels. Her novel Ebb and Flow won the TD Children's Book award and was shortlisted for the 2018 Governor General's Literary Award. Her most recent novel, Tig, was the winner of the 2025 Governor General's Literary Award. Heather's books have been translated into eight languages. She lives with her family in Waterloo, Ontario.
Ashley Barron is an author and illustrator who specializes in cut-paper collage. Her books include My Forest Is Green, My Ocean Is Blue and My City Speaks, as well as her authorial debut, Love You Head to Toe. Ashley lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her partner and their three cats.