Children’s books that can help children learn about and cope with sad news, death, and grief:
TESS’ TREE by Jess Brallier
Tess loved her tree dearly. She would swing on it and sit in its shade and catch its leaves in the fall. One day, after a storm blew off some large branches, her tree must be cut down and taken away. In the sad days that follow, Tess puts together a funeral for her tree, where old friends and admirers of it come together to share nice stories. The book is a gentle first introduction to the concepts of loss, death, and remembrance.
Recommended age: 4 and up
A TERRIBLE THING HAPPENS by Margaret M. Holmes
Sherman Smith is a young raccoon who saw something awful happen. He tries to forget about it, but over time it bothers him and makes his tummy feel sick. So Sherman starts to meet at school with sweet Ms. Maple, and he learns to talk about his feelings with her, which helps him feel better. The story never goes into specifics about what “terrible thing” Sherman saw, which makes it helpful for discussing everything from natural disasters to school violence to child abuse — whether experienced personally or heard about on the news or through the grapevine.
Recommended age: 4 and up
THE INVISIBLE STRING by Patrice Karst
The author came up with the idea of “the invisible string” when her son started preschool in order to alleviate separation anxiety (for both mother and child). The story reminds readers that we are never alone — we are always connected to the ones we love by an invisible string, even when we are not with them. The gentle story provides comfort to children who have lost a loved one or are afraid to be away from their parents after a scary event.
Recommended age: 3 and up
LIVETIMES: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie
Discussing death with children is no easy task. This colorful, careful book explains that everything that is born also dies, and a lifetime is what happens in between. It offers a tender way of showing a child that dying is as much a part of living as being born. Note that the book says many people live to be at least 60 or 70 — which may worry children with relatives older than that, or may upset families dealing with the death of a younger loved one.
Recommended age: 5 and up
WHEN DINOSAURS DIE by Laura Krasny Brown
Parent reviews of this book are mostly glowing but advise reading only some parts of it to your child, depending on your situation. The book offers straightforward, age-appropriate answers to some common questions kids may have, such as “What does dead mean?” and “What happens after death?” (answered in a mainly secular fashion). It also explains some customs involving the dead, such as funerals. Be aware that it also covers tough topics such as suicide and drug overdoses, so gauge whether it’s appropriate to discuss those parts with your child.
Recommended age: 6 and up
BADGER’S PARTING GIFTS by Susan Varley
This hopeful tale shows woodland animals coming together to remember their friend Badger after he dies. How will they go on? They decide that they’ll do it with the help of his gifts: his kindness, his friendship, and his love for them, which they’ll never forget. It’s a timeless, heartwarming story that doesn’t delve into specifics about death.
Recommended age: 4 and up
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
In this abstract but relatable book, children learn about the range of human emotions through a series of colorful illustrations and snappy rhymes, like: “Some days are yellow. Some are blue. On different days, I’m different too.” The colors and feelings are also associated with different animals, such as a “busy, buzzy bee” on yellow days and a horse kicking up its heels on red days. And some days are a mix of many different colors and moods — so true during times of grief.
Recommended age: 3 and up
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
After children learn about death — either from a personal loss or a general first explanation — they are likely to feel scared at times, of things big and small. Scaredy Squirrel sure can relate. His general sense of nervousness makes him want to stay in his tree and never leave. What if there are spiders or martians or killer bees waiting for him? One day, he leaps into the unknown, and finds that there are many more good surprises than bad ones awaiting him in life.
Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee Maclean
Young children need some quiet time, especially after an intense event such as a death in the family or a community tragedy — or even after a plain old busy day. Balance your inquiries about how your child is feeling with some time for relaxation and reflection. This book features fun, disarming illustrations of pigs taking a break from bickering with siblings or playing video games so that they can “find a quiet spot and just breathe, breathe, breathe.” It makes the idea of meditation approachable for kids and families, rather than esoteric or far out. Sometimes, there’s nothing as therapeutic as quiet time and some deep breaths.
Recommended age: 5 and up
Only One You by Linda Kranz
This book doesn’t deal with death or tragedy at all, but it is uplifting any day of the week. It shows that kids can be proud of the fact that there is “only one you.” They should feel empowered to be themselves, feel their own feelings, make friends, create their own artwork, and live a life that is theirs. When children wonder what will happen to them or someone else when they die, they can keep in mind that every individual makes their mark on the world in their own way. No one else will ever get to be “you,” and that makes “you” so great.
Recommended age: 4 and up
The goodbye book by Todd Parr
In his signature simple style, Todd Parr explores the range of emotions and responses when we experience loss in The Goodbye Book. Parr guides young readers through the feelings most commonly felt when struggling with a goodbye, with the reassurance that with time things will get better, and a reminder that they are always loved.
Wherever you are, my love will find you by Nancy Tillman
Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman is a beautiful, heartfelt exploration of the unconditional love that a parent has for a child, even when they cannot be together. While death is not explicitly mentioned, this book is a lovely resource for offering reassurance to children who have experienced the loss of a parent.
I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm
I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm explores the love between humans and their pets through the story shared by a young narrator about his dog, Elfie, and their life together. The book shows the boy caring for Elfie as she ages and his family’s grief when she dies of old age. The boy is sad that Elfie is gone but consoles himself that his dog always knew how much she was loved.
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola shares a tender story of love and care for an elderly relative through the eyes of a young boy named Tommy. We see Tommy helping his grandmother care for his 94-year-old great-grandmother, and the close bond he shares with both women. When his great-grandmother (and later his grandmother) dies, the story shows Tommy’s reactions to the deaths of these beloved family members.
Ida, Always by Caron Levis
Ida, Always by Caron Levis shares the beautiful story of two city zoo polar bears, Gus and Ida, and their feelings when Ida becomes sick with an illness that cannot be healed and later dies. It beautifully explores the turbulent range of emotions felt when a loved one becomes terminally ill, with a focus on making the most of the time we have left with sick loved ones. This is one of the most poignant books about love and loss I have read.
I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas
I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas explains what we know about death and grief in a simple, factual manner. It outlines reasons why people die, introduces what a funeral is, and explores the difficult feelings and emotions of saying goodbye and missing someone very much.
Michael Rousen’s Sad Book
It chronicles Michael’s grief at the death of his son Eddie from meningitis at the age of 19. A moving combination of sincerity and simplicity, it acknowledges that sadness is not always avoidable or reasonable and perfects the art of making complicated feelings plain.
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book: A Beautiful Anatomy of Loss, Illustrated by Quentin Blake
Something very sad happened by Bonnie Zucker
A toddler’s guide to understand DEATH.
When a loved one dies, it can be hard to know how to explain it to a young child, particularly if you are grieving the loss yourself.
Sensitively written and gently illustrated, Something Very Sad Happened explains death in developmentally appropriate terms for two- and three-year-old children.
It reassures the child that it is okay to feel sad, and that love never dies.
https://www.apa.org/pubs/magination/pdf/something-very-sad-happened-sample-pages.pdf
The Small Creature
When young children lose someone close to them, it can be so difficult to tell how they are dealing. This is an animated story to help bereaved children.
The story follows the Small Creature on a quest for his lost friend, Bird.
Although it’s a bereavement book for children, it’s a very light little tale that appeals to both children and adults.
