“PABLO” by Mar Andersons

PABLO

Mar Andersons
kidstori
ISBN: 978-1738170401        
Reviewed by Courtney Lowry for Reader Views (07/2026)

The topic of grief is sensitive. At some point, we’ve all lost someone. As adults, it’s hard to even explain grief to ourselves. But for children, the task of understanding grief is more complex. In Mar Andersons’ PABLO, the conversation surrounding grief becomes a little less daunting. Mar Andersons, who has worked in film and television for decades and is currently producing an animated series, as well as continuing work on and off screen, found inspiration to write PABLO after the loss of his mother.

We meet a selfless dog, Pablo, and his amor, Arianna. Pablo is about to be a dad and decides he wants to get a gift before his family starts to grow. Pablo sets out on an adventure in his home of Cabo, Mexico, where he finds himself at a resort. Though he’s found the perfect gift, he also encounters evil twins. The parents of the twins think Pablo is a “stray,” drive him to the vet, and then he ends up on a plane to Seattle. Pablo has been dognapped!

Meanwhile, a woman named Joan is making a trip to see her family in Seattle. On the way, she reminisces over her late husband and speaks to a photo of them on vacation, which is the first stage of grief: denial. Joan and Pablo cross paths for the first time, as she is visiting the twins in Seattle. (She’s their grandma.) Pablo is now trapped at the twins’ home. He meets a frightening cat, who actually helps Pablo make his escape. Pablo traverses through the forest and falls over the highway into Joan’s R.V. At first, Pablo’s arrival is to Joan’s dismay. She’s angry Pablo accidentally knocks down the photo on the dashboard.

But when Pablo shows her that Mexico is his home, she has a change of heart. Joan offers to drive Pablo back home, and together they make the journey throughout the Pacific Northwest, to California, and eventually Mexico! When Pablo reaches his home on the beach in Cabo, he is reunited with Arianna, who’s now given birth to a litter of puppies! The story ends with Joan meeting Pablo’s family, and together they sit on the beach, as Joan reflects on a promise she made to her husband. In the end, Joan gets closure, and Pablo learns that he can handle the responsibility of becoming a father.

PABLO handles all stages of grief well and makes each stage accessible to children. Readers can gain some insight about the “bargaining” stage through Joan’s responses if they are unfamiliar with that stage. After getting a flat tire, Joan looks up at the sky, asking for a way to be made to get Pablo to Mexico. I actually did not know that was a form of bargaining. Also, prior to this, when Joan tells Pablo, “This photo from México is all I got. It’s where our love started; touch it you will not.”

Joan accurately expresses human anger after loss. We may have relics that we hold onto from our loved ones. The fear of them being tainted is valid. Any sort of threat of destruction or damage means that we could lose a part of that person we loved. This reminded me of the scene in UP where Mr. Fredricksen requests multiple times for his personalized mailbox, painted by him and his late wife Ellie, to not be touched. When the mailbox does get touched, Mr. Fredricksen becomes angry and hits someone with his cane.

A highlight of Pablo is its formatting and its ability to tie in relevant elements with today’s society/culture. The large text and short sentences on each page are perfect for the intended audience. There are many Spanish words sprinkled throughout the book. They are nicely bolded in various colors that can be easily referenced at the back of the book. What I liked most is that whenever Mexico is referenced, it is referred to as “México” in the colors of the Mexican flag, expressing pride in the country and its people. Also, when Joan and Pablo arrive at the border of Mexico, it’s a celebration with high fives, smiles, and Spanish words of joy as they meet a friendly guard who welcomes them. Once they are in Mexico, Pablo is so happy about being home, and the beauty of Mexico is pointed out (Mr. Andersons writes, “The beaches! The palm trees!”). Now more than ever, children need to see this type of positivity.

The illustrations, created by Irvin Walkes, depict Pablo’s harrowing adventure in great detail. The characters were realistically drawn. Mr. Walkes’ illustrations have a lot of movement in them. A page that stuck out to me was one where we see Pablo and Joan travel across the state of California. It’s a wonderful visual that shows Joan and Pablo in the R.V. against the shape of California, alongside all of the iconic landmarks and food from The Golden State. Out of all of the illustration spreads, my favorite one had to be the last one where Pablo and his family sit with Joan at the beach, looking at a shimmering sunset.

I received a deluxe physical copy of PABLO and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the book. The cover is beautiful, with Pablo’s name in red embossed on the front. It features a Spanish-English glossary, a link to PABLO: The Videogame, a resource page about how to explain grief to children, a page about turning young readers’ drawings into 3D toys with a company called Designer Little, and a sticker page highlighting key scenes from the book!

The team who created PABLO, Kidstori, would like readers to know that AI was not used in the creation of the book. Also, PABLO was made with sustainability in mind and is free of harsh chemicals that can be dangerous for kids. Online, there is even a toolkit called a “playkit” that young readers and adults can use to have an even more interactive experience beyond the book. In addition, there’s a mental health tab on the website where school counselor Missy Christenson (who wrote the resource page at the end of the book) breaks down how to explain grief to kids and what terminology to use to ensure proper understanding of the five stages. Purchasers of the PABLO book can also donate other copies to children in need. Partial proceeds from the book go to animal rescue organizations.

PABLO by Mar Andersons is not just a children’s picture book. It’s a plethora of mental health resources for the upcoming generation and their families that teaches readers Spanish, shares the beauty of Mexico, and emphasizes that you are not alone as you navigate your grief. Pablo’s story shows that when we care about others, we find healing for ourselves.