Cry, heart, but never break by Glenn Ringtved

Cry, heart, but never break by Glenn Ringtved, illustrated by Charlotte Pardi, translated from the Danish by Robert Moulthrop. Enchanted Lion Books, 2016. 

Four children try to delay Death’s visit to their beloved grandmother, but Death knows that everything has a cycle, and that death is important in order to enjoy life. He tells an allegory about Grief and Sorrow marrying with Joy and Delight – there is balance in nature. Death’s representation owes a great deal to Bengt Ekeroth’s portrayal of Death in Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (just like Death, in Bill and Ted’s bogus journey).