Death is such a big and important topic for kids, and it can often feel like a difficult one. Children going through the grief of the loss of a loved one or children who are simply curious and wondering about that part of life are bound to have questions. Books are obviously not a perfect or complete solution, but they can help. Through stories we can see ourselves as well as new perspectives. Books are also excellent launch points for starting discussions about difficult topics with children.
Below are over a dozen of our favorite books that address death. These books address everything from saying goodbye to as staying connected. I especially appreciate the ones that address dealing with grief because it can be such a big and heavy emotion for children (everyone really) to process and work through. We hope you find this list helpful.
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Out to Sea by Helen Kellock- This book is stunning. In the story it tells of a young girls grief over loosing her grandmother and how it feels like a sea that she is sinking in. However, things take a hopeful turn when she is reminded that she isn’t alone and can still feel connected to her grandmother. She learns too find beauty and hope amidst the grief and work through it. A new favorite of mine.
An Ordinary Day by Elana K. Arnold and Elizabet Vukovic- This book is spares in text and really tells it’s message through illustrations that show two families living side by side on the same day and the different experiences they have at the same time. One family welcomes in a new baby and anther says goodbye to a beloved, furry friend as it passes. The parallel of the two stories is beautiful and impactful.
Mom’s Sweater by Jayde Perkin- This is one of the most beautiful books about death and grief that I have seen for children. It is a little heavy, but it is sensitively done and is quietly beautiful. In the story a little girl looses her mom to illness and finds a way to deal with the grief through comfort from her father and her mother’s old sweater. It is insightful and gives you a lot you can discuss with children.
“Sonya’s Chickens” by Phoebe Wahl– This book is so beautiful. It is the story of a little girl who has some pet chickens and loves them very much. However, despite the fact that she cares for them and protects them to the best of her abilities she discovers one evening that one of her chickens is gone (eaten by another animal such as a fox). She is heartbroken. Her father helps her to understand the natural order of things and they have a burial service for her chicken. In the end she discovers an egg left by that chicken and is excited for the new life waiting to start.
“Grandma’s Gloves” by Cecil Castellucci and Julia Denos– This is a lovely story about a little girl who adores her grandmother. She loves to spend time with her, especially in her grandmothers garden. The two make wonderful memories together, but when her grandmother passes away the little girl feels lonely and hurt. However, she remembers all that her grandmother taught her and finds solace in gardening. It helps her to feel close to her grandmother again and reminds her of all the wonderful times they had. In the end she starts to pass on all her grandmother taught her to her mother and she find peace in that.
“The Heart and The Bottle” by Oliver Jeffers– This is the most “mature” book out of the five as it touches on deeper notes of sadness and loss than the previous four which would work well for younger children. This one is still a very wonderful resource for discussing loss with children, however I would personally use it for older children. It is the story of a little girl who is close to an elderly man (probably her grandfather) who is a mentor to her and fosters her childhood joy and wonder. However, one day he is no longer there (this could be from death, or perhaps he had to go away for another reason) and is no longer there for her. She is so sorrowful that she puts her heart away in a bottle in effort to protect it. She lives the years empty and sad until one day as an adult she meets a little girl who reminds her about the joy of childhood wonder and the beauty the world has to offer. It is then that she is able to return her heart and find peace again.
“My Grandpa’s Chair” by Jiyeon Pak- This is a sweet and gentle book centered on dealing with loss. From the illustrations you can draw the subtle inference that Grandpa is lonely on his love seat because his wife is no longer there to share it with him. Determined to cheer him up, his granddaughter goes chair shopping with him. However, in the end they learn that it isn’t really the chair that makes you happy, it’s who you share it with. This is discovered when the book concludes with the little girl and grandpa sharing a simple stump at the park to take a short rest. This one is darling and the illustrations are every bit as lovely as the story.
I Dream of Popo by Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo – In this story a young girl and her family emigrate from Taiwan. The girl misses her Popo (grandmother) dearly, but still stays connected through their love, brief visits, and the memories they share. Then when her grandmother passes away she feels connected to her Popo through her dreams.
“Where the Ocean Meets the Sky” by Terry Fan and Eric Fan- This book is just SO beautiful! It tells the sentimental story of a young boy named Finn who takes an Imaginative journey in honor of his Grandfather who is no longer with him and whom he loves so much. It is so sweet and sincere and the illustrations are just stunning!
Arno and His Horse by Jane Godwin and Felicita Sala -Arno has a wooden horse that is very special to him because it helps connect him to his memories and relationship with his grandfather who has passed. When he looses it all his friends and family try to help him find it and the ending were he is reunited with it and its meaning for him is so rewarding and sweet.
“Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms” by Robert Paul Weston and Misa Saburi- This story is about a little asian girl who loves spending time with her grandmother, especially having picnics under blossoming cherry trees. However, her world is turned upside down when her family moves to America away from her grandmother, and she is faced with a new country, new language, and new people. Things are made better when she makes a new friend and then they are made hard again when they return to Asia to visit her ailing grandmother who soon passes away. However, her new friendship helps her move through the loss, find a way to remember her grandmother and transition to her new life. It is a sweet story with a lot of depth and its beautiful.
Birdsong by Julie Flett- A gentle and thought provoking book about a young girl as she adjusts from a move, develops a sweet relationship with a senior neighbor and accepts the changing of the seasons and the changing of her new friends failing health. It is beautifully done.
“The Forever Tree” by Tereasa Surratt and Donna Lukas- This story is based on the true story of tree that was very important to a family, but in time the father passed away and shortly thereafter the tree contracted a fatal disease. In efforts to preserve the tree as a tribute to the memory of the father the tree was built into a tree house. It is such a sweet story of love, loss and the things that never die.
“Because of Thursday” by Patricia Polacco– In this story Annie is a woman who runs a restaurant with her husband and makes the best noodle dish in town. They have a very happy life together and raise two children. They grow in age together and eventually Mario passes away. At first Annie is heartbroken and cannot move on. Her restaurant is closed down and nothing is the same. However, one day a kitten in need shows-up on her porch. Annie finds the companionship and love that she desperately needs in the new kitten and life starts to hold meaning again. She reopens the restaurant and finds a way to be happy once more.
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