Adult Books
How Two Grieving Mothers Found Inspiration and Comfort. There are few, if any, events in life as traumatic, heart-wrenching, and crushing as the death of a child. While nothing can mute the pain of such a life-shattering loss, others who know this experience can help those suffering articulate the chaos of their feelings and see that they can, eventually, feel whole again. Organized by a journalist and a psychotherapist, each of whom has lost a child, A Broken Heart Still Beats is a remarkable compilation of poetry, fiction, and essays about the pain, stages of grief, and the coping and healing process that follows the death of one's child.
Although diverse in their ages, religions, experiences, and professions, these grieving mothers and their NICU nurse share their intensely personal stories in ways that create an incredibly universal book that will speak to readers from all walks of life. Parents who grieve the loss of a baby will find validation, hope, and consolation. Those trying to assist a loved one who has lost a baby will find understanding about parental grief and will be empowered to more effectively help their loved one experiencing this unique type of grief.
In this deeply sympathetic book, Phyllis R. Silverman and Madelyn Kelly offer wise guidance on virtually every aspect of childhood loss, from living with someone who's dying to preparing the funeral; from explaining death to a two year old to managing the moods of a grieving teenager; from dealing with people who don't understand to learning how and where to get help from friends, therapists, and bereavement groups; from developing a new sense of self to continuing a relationship with the person who died.
A collection of truly comforting, down-to-earth thoughts and meditations -- including the authentic voices of survivors -- for anyone grieving the loss of a loved one.
This unique and sensitive grief journal allows readers to catch — and hold — an angel: Over the past decade, this classic work has helped thousands find meaningful ways to overcome the despair of losing a loved one. Now, Angel Catcher has been revised and updated to convey its powerful message of hope to a new audience. Featuring brand new illustrations and a fresh updated look, the tasteful pages of this journal guide the user through the process of mourning and onward to a lasting sense of peace in the face of loss.
El artículo escrito por el Hospital Mattel Children’s y la Universidad de California en Los Angeles, describe las reacciones que los padres pueden presentar ante el duelo de la pérdida de un hijo. El artículo también habla de cómo los niños pueden interpretar la muerte durante las diferentes etapas de su desarrollo.
El libro el dolor de perder un hijo y el proceso de Sanidad es un conmovedor y alentador testimonio sobre la trágica experiencia de la muerte de un hijo. En este relato podrá encontrar la Fe y el consuelo necesario para atravesar situaciónes difíciles en su vida. Este libro está dedicado a todos los padres que han visto partir a su hijo con tan solo horas, días , meses o años de vida . También este libro está dedicado aquellas parejas que por años han esperado tener hijos y ese milagro parece imposible.
With compassion that comes from Sherokee and David's experience of having lived through the death of their son Brennan, the book offers guidance and practical suggestions for the decision-making at the time (including why and how one might see, hold, and memorialize one's baby) and over time (such as how to handle such times as anniversaries, holidays and the birth of other babies in the parents' close circle.) Family and friends can learn how to understand the loss and be supportive of the bereaved families. It offers ongoing support about subjects such as returning to work or to life, couple grieving, surviving children, feeling guilty, having another child or not, and feeling lonely.
The heartache of miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death affects thousands of U.S. families every year. Empty Cradle, Broken Heart, Third Edition offers reassurance to parents who struggle with anger, guilt, and despair during and after such a tragedy. In this new and updated edition, Deborah Davis encourages grieving and strives to cover many different kinds of loss, including information on issues such as the death of one or more babies from a multiple birth, pregnancy interruption, and the questioning of aggressive medical intervention. There is also a special chapter for fathers as well as a chapter on "protective parenting" to help anxious parents enjoy their precious living children. Doctors, nurses, relatives, friends, and other support persons can gain special insight. Most importantly, parents facing the death of a baby will find necessary support in this gentle guide.
The death of a child is an overwhelming loss. "Why did my child die?" and "Is my child suffering now?" are questions that all people, of all cultures and backgrounds, ask. But characteristic of Western culture is a limited language for expressing grief, and a consuming guilt that undermines the recovery process. Dr. Sukie Miller, author of the landmark work After Death, turns to the beliefs and healing stories of other cultures to present a unique perspective that is both surprising and comforting. Sharing her research with a compassionate and grounded voice, she offers hope to those seeking meaning in what seems senseless, and heartening possibilities for returning to wholeness, even if we feel life cannot ever be the same.
When the anticipation of your child's birth turns into the grief of miscarriage, tubal pregnancy, stillbirth, or early infant death, no words can ease your loss. But there is strength and encouragement in the wisdom of others who have been there and found that God's comfort is real. Grieving the Child I Never Knew is a warm, encouraging, and truly helpful devotional for anyone experiencing the terrible loss of a baby.
In Growing Up in Heaven, New York Times best-selling author and world-famous medium James Van Praagh brings to light the amazing journey of children who have passed from earth to heaven. Growing Up in Heaven follows the path of a child's soul - their time spent in heaven and their connection to the living.
When Laura Sateriale discovered that her thriving, healthy daughter had passed away in her sleep, her worst nightmare became a painful reality. In the dark hours and days ahead, survival seemed impossible. Goodnight, Not Goodbye is a raw, emotional testament to a mother's love, and an honest account of SIDS / SUDC loss. Over the course of five years, Laura shares how she learned to cope with grief and the new normal she faced with her family.
Presenting simple yet highly effective methods for coping and healing, this book provides answers and relief to parents trying to deal with the loss of a child. It offers 100 practical, action-oriented tips for embracing grief, such as writing a letter to the child who has died; spending time with others who will listen to stories of grief; creating a memory book, box, or Web site; and remembering others who may still be struggling with the death.
Held one way, this book is for those who are grieving. In 12 brief, easy-to-read chapters, to offers helpful suggestions for how one can move through one's grief in a healthy, healing way. Held the opposite way (so the back cover becomes the front cover), it's a book for those who want to help someone who is grieving. Its 12 succinct chapters offer positive, practical advice. This book is already in its fourth printing.
Mourning the death of a loved one is a process all of us will go through at one time or another. But wherever the death is sudden or anticipated, few of us are prepared for it or for the grief it brings. There is no right or wrong way to grieve; each person's response to loss will be different. Now, in this compassionate, comprehensive guide (previously published as Grieving), Therese A. Rando, Ph.D., bereavement specialist and author of Loss and Anticipatory Grief, leads you gently through the painful but necessary process of grieving and helps you find the best way for yourself.
Discusses the variety of reactions that people experience because of the loss of a love and provides numerous recommendations for coping with pain and achieving comfort.
I Never Held You is a supportive book about miscarriage, grief, healing and recovery. It is helpful for those who have just suffered a miscarriage, or for women who lost their babies years ago when there was little, if any, support. In this book are four touching stories from women who miscarried. The second half of the book focuses on things the author found helpful in healing. She says: "Take what works for you, leave what doesn't, and remember to take one day at a time. There is no time frame on grief.
The most helpful grief book to read when you're ready to start healing after the loss of a loved one. Discover the transformative power of healing and hope with this top-rated grief book and compassionate guide for those navigating the challenging journey of grief and loss. Written with profound wisdom and heartfelt empathy, I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye gently walks readers through the stages of grief, providing practical tools and empowering strategies to cope with the pain and confusion that accompany the loss of a loved one. Whether you've experienced the recent passing of a family member, friend, or even a pet, this book offers solace and guidance to help you navigate your unique grieving process.
In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides―as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner―Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, "happy" life, replacing it with a far healthier middle path, one that invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it.
Stories by bereaved parents after pregnancy loss coupled with stories of successful births, detailed so the reader has a helping hand coping through a subsequent pregnancy.
"One of the classics in the field of crisis intervention" (Dr. Earl Grollman), Life after Loss is the go-to resource for anyone who has suffered a significant life change. Loss can be overwhelming, and recovery often seems daunting, if not impossible. With great compassion and insight, Deits provides practical exercises for navigating the uncertain terrain of loss and grief, helping readers find positive ways to put together a life that is necessarily different, but equally meaningful. With two new chapters and significant changes throughout reflecting Deits's ongoing experience in counseling, Life after Loss is an essential "roadmap for those in grief" (Lawrence J. Lincoln, MD, Staff, Elisabeth KüRoss Center).
A Note from Dorothy: "Once in a lifetime, or maybe more, an individual enters our lives in a precious and powerful way. For some of us, the special person stays for only a moment. For others, longer. For some that child is only a brief dream, then a bittersweet memory. But each of us is somehow aware that we have experienced a small presence that will not leave us unchanged. This memory book is tenderly dedicated to the special presence of the many infants and young children who have quietly or not-so-quietly passed our way. It is yours to write in, create poems in, and place precious pictures and memories throughout. If you like, a copy of your baby's little footprints can be pasted over those on the cover."
¡Despierta a tu maternidad especial! Este es el libro que me hubiera encantado leer cuando mi primer bebé nació al cielo. En él aprenderás que puedes ser plenamente feliz después de una pérdida gestacional, neonatal o infantil. Tomarás decisiones de amor durante tu duelo, desaprenderás creencias obsoletas y nocivas, aprenderás sobre las señales y mensajes que trajo a tu vida este maravilloso ser que te eligió para ser su madre eternamente. Te invito a abrir tu mente y conocer la maravillosa maternidad que te ha sido regalada, a descubrir tu propia misión y ser intensamente feliz sabiéndote amada y elegida.
A tender gift book to comfort mothers who have experienced the loss of losing a child. Joyous, four-color illustrations and poignant words describe heaven from a child's perspective.
As the book opens: two-year-old Greta Greene is sitting with her grandmother on a park bench on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A brick crumbles from a windowsill overhead, striking her unconscious, and she is immediately rushed to the hospital. But although it begins with this event and with the anguish Jayson and his wife, Stacy, confront in the wake of their daughter's trauma and the hours leading up to her death, Once More We Saw Stars quickly becomes a narrative that is as much about hope and healing as it is about grief and loss. Jayson recognizes, even in the midst of his ordeal, that there will be a life for him beyond it--that if only he can continue moving forward, from one moment to the next, he will survive what seems unsurvivable. With raw honesty, deep emotion, and exquisite tenderness, he captures both the fragility of life and absoluteness of death, and most important of all, the unconquerable power of love. This is an unforgettable memoir of courage and transformation--and a book that will change the way you look at the world.
For a woman who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of an infant, conceiving another child can be fraught with mixed emotions. This guide, filled with up-to-date medical information and written by a woman who herself experienced a successful pregnancy after the loss of her first baby, can help women cope with their anxiety.
No two people experience grief in precisely the same way, and no one can tell you how to grieve. It is a process that can't be rushed or avoided. There are no simple shortcuts-it must be lived. Our intention is not to provide a formula or roadmap to grieving. Instead, we have chosen to include a wide range of feelings, options, issues, and experiences that, hopefully, you will relate to as your grief ebbs and flows over time. There are nearly three hundred entries within Remembering With Love. You may want to start at the beginning and follow along, or use the Reader's Guide to locate the specific topics that coincide with your own needs. Some pages may feel appropriate for a particular day, while others may not. We invite you to draw the messages you find most meaningful into your heart and leave the others for another time. you may also wish to revisit pages that are especially meaningful to you.
Rosalie Lightning is Tom Hart's touching and beautiful graphic memoir about the untimely death of his young daughter, Rosalie. His heart-breaking and emotional illustrations strike readers to the core, and take them along his family's journey through loss. Hart uses the graphic form to articulate his and his wife's on-going search for meaning in the aftermath of Rosalie's death, exploring themes of grief, hopelessness, rebirth, and eventually finding hope again.
Used for years by individuals, grief counselors, and support groups, Roses in December has helped readers understand the grieving process, support family members, give insight into sibling grief, and maintain their marriages during difficult times. This newly revised edition offers the same compassion and encouragement plus chapters on losing loved ones under special circumstances, such as suicide and AIDS.
In Signs, Jackson is able to bring the mystical into the everyday. She relates stories of people who have experienced uncanny revelations and instances of unexplained synchronicity, as well as others drawn from her own experience. There’s the lost child who appears to his mother as a deer that approaches her unhesitatingly at a highway rest stop; the name written on a dollar bill that lets a terrified wife know that her husband will be okay; the Elvis Presley song that arrives at the exact moment of Jackson’s own father’s passing; and many others. This is a book that is inspiring and practical, deeply comforting and wonderfully motivational, in asking us to see beyond ourselves to a more magnificent universal design.
En este libro podrán encontrar el relato de vida de un padre que perdió a su hijo, los retos que vivió con su pareja y como lucharon por salir adelante, honrar su memoria y no hundirse en la depresión. La importancia de seguir de pie y no olvidar a las personas que todavía se encuentran con nosotros. Agradecer aún en estos momentos tan duros y tristes de nuestra vida. La mejor forma de honrar a las personas que se fueron de este mundo es viviendo.
With unflinching honesty and fearless humor, psychologist Dr. Sunita Osborn addresses the relevant but often unspoken topics following a miscarriage including the impact of miscarriage on a relationship, hating pregnant people and all things baby after miscarriage, your relationship with your body after miscarriage, and how to move forward (not past). Informed by her clinical expertise and her own personal experience with miscarriage, the Miscarriage Map offers women, their partners, and loved ones with the nitty gritty realities of a miscarriage, the accompanying emotional roller coaster, and specific steps to take to help them get through this loss.
No one should be left to grieve alone. Even with the help of friends and family, grieving the death of a loved one can be a complex, sometimes overwhelming, process. The Mourning Handbook is written as a companion to those mourners in need of practical and emotional assistance during the trying times before and after the death of a loved one. Designed to conform to the special needs of the bereaved, The Mourning Handbook is written and organized in an accessible style punctuated by real stories of people who have experienced every kind of loss. With many subchapters and cross references, it can be consulted for a specific problem or read at length.
In this thoroughly revised and updated classic, a renowned psychologist shows that mourning is far from predictable, and all of us share a surprising ability to be resilient. In The Other Side of Sadness, psychologist and emotions expert George Bonanno argues otherwise. Our inborn emotions--anger and denial, but also relief and joy--help us deal effectively with loss. To expect or require only grief-stricken behavior from the bereaved does them harm. In fact, grieving goes beyond mere sadness, and it can actually deepen interpersonal connections and even lead to a new sense of meaning in life.
Highly praised by the SIDS community and reviewers like Library Journal, the new Second Edition of this informative, moving and comprehensive (314-page) book satisfies the needs of both the general public and SIDS survivors.
Procedural guidance and key considerations developed by the National Association of Medical Examiners' Panel on Sudden Unexpected Death in Pediatrics. This publication reviews medicolegal investigation of sudden, unexpected pediatric deaths, focusing on systems and procedures in the United States and those deaths which remain incompletely understood or entirely unexplained.
How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy.
WHEN GOOD-BYE IS FOREVER walks us along the author's path to acceptance and recovery, taking us through the first hours and days of the tragedy, the painful but necessary first outings, and such occasions as Christopher's birthday, and the anniversary of his death. Mairi and the children share their responses to the tragedy as well, showing us the effect such a tragedy can have on the whole family. WHEN GOOD-BYE IS FOREVER is also a guide for relatives and friends who wish to discover when and how to aid the bereaved. Everyone who has lost a beloved child will find something for themselves in this generous book. It speaks to every bereaved person's grief, guilt, anger, and pain -- and helps open the way to healing and peace.
Susan Lenzkes' devotionals comfort like a warm hug. Through her personal anecdotes and specially selected verses of Scripture, you'll find understanding and love. Let her introduce you to - and encourage you to grow in your relationship with - her best Friend, the Lord Jesus.
When the Bough Breaks presents a breakthrough concept of mourning, documenting the process of evolution from initial grief to an altered outlook on life. Excerpts from interviews with fifty parents who lost a child from age five to forty-five trace the road from utter devastation to a revised view of life, resulting in a work that is a tribute to resilience and the indomitable human spirit.
This book is a simple book of love written for you, a grieving loss mom, from other loss moms who have also heard those life-altering, soul-shattering words, “I’m sorry there is no heartbeat” or “I’m sorry, your baby is gone.” In the pages of this book, we share letters of love from our hearts to yours with the hope that, maybe, in the darkest, loneliest hours of grief, you will find a little bit of comfort in the words of another mother who has been where you are now.
There are few books that address the weight of guilt and shame that a grieving mother carries with her after the loss of her child. The deep feeling of failure that accompanies child loss can be heart, mind and soul crippling. Reengaging in life after loss and attempting to find a sliver of hope again is an on-going battle-- one no bereaved mother should travel alone. No matter the age or cause of death, no matter the story, this book is for you, sweet mama. It's the book you can reach for in the middle of the night, when you feel like no one understands your pain. It's the book you can carry with you anywhere and everywhere, to give you a lift of hope, a sliver of light in the darkness. It's a balm for your broken heart, a comfort for your aching soul. It's an elixir to combat that feeling of failure, a way to lift your heart and soul, again and again, whenever it needs to be lifted with some gentle, loving encouragement from someone who knows. It's a way to replace the insidious lies with a truth that will resonate with all your broken pieces, a truth that will settle deep into every crevice of your being. Whether today, or years from now, some day, some how, I hope you know what I know to be true: you truly are the mother of all mothers-- a warrior mama through and through.
Children’s Books
The angel paintings of artist Nancy Noel beautifully portray Amy Nolfo-Wheeler's story of Jacob, a child angel on a journey of discovery. This keepsake book, in heavenly color, features a glow-in-the-dark cover. An inspiring message of hope and joy for children and other youthful spirits.
Ages: All ages
Best friends throughout their entire childhoods, Samantha and Julie are devastated when Julie is diagnosed with cancer the summer before their senior year, and their friendship changes in many difficult ways.
Ages: 12 to 18
Come join Rosalba and her grandmother, her abuela, on a magical journey as they fly over the streets, sights, and people of New York City which sparkles below. The story is narrated in English, and sprinkled with Spanish phrases as Abuela points out places that they explore together. The exhilaration in Rosalba’s and Abuela's story is magnified by the loving bond that only a grandmother and granddaughter can share.
Ages: 2 to 6
A beautifully written and illustrated “read-aloud” story intended for people of all ages, best for children aged six and older. Helps people find the resilience and hope within themselves; view grief as the human organism’s natural process for healing; address physical, spiritual, and emotional dimensions of grief; recognize that everyone grieves differently; and see how connections with friends, memory, and ritual can promote healing.
Ages: 6 and older
This interactive workbook contains games, puzzles, art, and stories of other children who have dealt with loss.
Using characters from the animal kingdom, this story helps children learn how sharing positive memories of a loved one can help people cope with pain and sadness and imagine life going on without the one who died. The story of how Mole, Hare, Otter and Squirrel share stories of their friend Fox illustrates how relationships continue – albeit in changed form – after someone dies.
Ages: 3 to 8
Always Sisters by Sair Mir tells the story of a family's miscarriage. The story shows how older sister, Raya, is looking forward to being a big sister to Nura. She draws pictures for Nura and dreams of all the things she wants to do with her little sister. Everything changes when mom has a miscarriage. Together the family supports each other and their range of emotions. We would have appreciated if the author chose to use the word "dead" instead of "lost" when talking about what happened to Nura. Choosing to use dead, death, dying and not euphemisms with young children can help them better understand what happened. For example, when explaining miscarriage to a young child one could say, "We don't know why but something happened to the baby and it died. When it happens during pregnancy it is called miscarriage”.
Ages: 4 to 8
The author wrote this book, about an 11-year-old girl whose baby brother died, as she struggled to cope with her own brother’s death. It addresses questions that children have about death and dying, and provides answers from a child’s point of view.
Ages: 6 and older
Angel Catcher for Kids offers a healthy way for a child to cope with the painful and often confusing process of grieving. Designed to help a child overcome the loss of a loved one, this journal also invites the child to record precious memories of the special person who has died. Angel Catcher for Kids will help a child to catch-and hold-an angel.
All the woodland creatures—Mole, Frog, Fox, and Rabbit—love old Badger, who is their confidante, advisor, and friend. When he dies, they are overwhelmed by their loss. Then they begin to remember and treasure the memories he left them. Told simply, directly, and honestly, this uplifting story will be of tremendous value to both children and their parents. A gentle classic that can help foster communication, care, and understanding.
Ages: 4 to 9
Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief.
I hope this book will help other children understand that they are not alone in their feelings of grief, and that grieving is a normal and necessary process. Although this book is directed mainly to sibling bereavement, these feelings are common for any loss of an important person in the child’s life. Parents are encouraged to read this book together with their children to strengthen communications about feelings of grief within the bereaved family. By sharing the experiences in the book, we can all come a little closer to the real child…the child that feels…the child that hurts. Children are not paper dolls!
Ages: 9 to 15
Este libro enseña conceptos básicos sobre la muerte y ayuda a los niños a entender y expresar las diferentes emociones que experimentan cuando alguien especial muere. A medida que ellos ilustran el libro con sus propias historias, desarrollan sus habilidades de comunicación y la capacidad de confrontar la pérdida sufrida.
Nothing seems as difficult to face as a death in the family, but for young people, facing the death of a sibling is among the most painful of life’s struggles. Ruiz speaks sympathetically about the stages of emotional grief that children face after a loved one has died, and utilizes honest, descriptive narratives that illustrate how other young people have handled grief.
Ages: 12 to 17
A well-intentioned, although poorly executed book designed to help families cope with the huge sorrow of losing a baby to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Six-year-old Carly experiences confusion and sadness following the death of her baby brother. Then, in a dream, she flies to the moon and finds Nigel, who assures her that he will always be with her, which can be a powerful message of hope and comfort to a young child struggling to cope with a sibling's death.
Ages: Infant to Preschool
This art therapy book helps children understand feelings of grief, learn to be sensitive to the feelings of others, and develop coping skills for the difficult times in their lives. Adults can use this book to see how children express in pictures what they are unable to express in words.
A guide to coping with the stresses and emotions arising after the death of a parent.
Ages: 12 to 15
The journal keeper can write letters, copy down meaningful lyrics, write songs and poems, tell the person who died what they want them to know, finish business and use their creativity to work through the grieving process.
Ages: Young Adult
Flying Hugs and Kisses is about five children who creatively take on roles of support toward each other while showing their individual feelings about the death of their baby brother. This sensitive story of grief recovery is a great resource for parents to use to help their children understand and affirm their feelings.
Ages: 2 to 6
This book, an allegory using nature, helps children understand the range of emotions (positive and negative) that accompany death resulting from a serious illness. It also illustrates the important role of memory in the healing process of grief.
Ages: 4 to 8
This book helps normalize the range of emotions that children feel when a loved one dies, from anger to sadness to acceptance, and illustrates how rituals can help children cope with loss.
Ages: 4 and up
Losing a loved one—at any age—is devastating. But if you’re a teen who has lost a sibling, this loss can feel even more so. Siblings are also lifetime playmates, confidants, role models, and friends. After losing a brother or sister, you may feel like a part of yourself is missing. You may also feel lonely, depressed, and anxious. These are all normal reactions. But even though the pain feels unmanageable now, there are ways you can start to heal.
Ages: 13 and up
This book offers many activities to help teens express emotions related to grief.
An art therapy and activity book for children coping with death. Sensitive exercises address all the questions children may have during this emotional and troubling crisis. Children are encouraged to express in pictures what they are often incapable of expressing in words.
Ages: 5 to teen
The wind is raking through the falling leaves and I wish that you were here. As the seasons change, a young boy shares the magic of his garden with a special friend. Here in the Garden is an incredibly gentle book about loss and how to find your way back to the one you are missing.
Ages: 5 to 8
Dr. Daniel Schaefer, working with child psychologists and trauma experts, and drawing on more than three decades of experience with families in crisis, has written a practical guide for anyone who works or lives with children—parents, caregivers, counselors, or teachers—to respond to their inevitable questions about loss and change, life and death. He provides strategies to assist children with grief and trauma and offers time-tested advice and language that children can understand.
When Betsy learns about the death of a friend, her parents and kindergarten teacher answer questions about dying, funerals, and the burial process.
Ages: 5 to 9
This is a coloring and activity book, intended for use by a parent and child together. Concepts emphasized include: death as a natural part of the life cycle, answering children’s questions about death (what happens to the body, why did it happen?), and acknowledging feelings associated with grief such as sadness, fear, and anger. The book also helps children connect with memories, special days, and relationships with friends and family that help them feel better.
Ages: 3 to 8
Elfie the dachshund is the best dog anyone could every ask for. Every day, she and her owner explore and play together. And every night, her owner tells her "I'll always love you." Elfie owner grow up togther, but growing up can mean having to say goodbye to the ones you love. This tender story is a perfect way to make the topic of loss a little less scary for kids (and grownups).
Ages: 4 to 8
This book normalizes feelings associated with grief and loss, help children understand death as a part of the life cycle, and encourages them to use memory, rituals, relationships, and engagement in usual activities to help them heal. The last page of the book contains excellent suggestions for how parents, school counselors, and other caring adults can use the book with children.
Ages: 3 to 8
Rosemyn’s story about the sudden death of her mother.
A journal for teens to write about memories, grief, the funeral, on coping, on love and life, keepsakes, and healing.
Ages: 13 and up
An inspirational and accessible guide to coping with loss includes personal stories of death and life from real teens, advice from a renowned grief counselor, and dozens of hands-on, creative exercises to help teens move through their pain.
Ages: 12 to 15
A best friend has moved away…Dad no longer lives with the family… A favorite relative or pet has died. This warm and comforting book gently helps the grieving child identify his or her feelings—from denial and anger to guilt and sadness—and learn to accept and deal with them. Expressive illustrations help children discover that it is natural to feel the pain of loss, and that they can help themselves feel better by seeking the comfort they need in healthy ways.
Ages: 9 to 12
This beautifully illustrated book portrays a boy’s sadness and loneliness after his best friend dies. A parent, a teacher, and an adult neighbor help the boy formulate his questions about death and begin to heal.
Ages: 6 to 9
Based on the true story of two sisters, Isabelle's Dream takes the reader on a heartwarming journey from grief to hope. The story begins as Isabelle gazes out her bedroom window at the stars, wondering where her sister Sophia has gone. She knows Sophia is in Heaven, but where is that? Can Isabelle go there, too, so she and Sophia can be together again? That night, Sophia visits Isabelle in a dream. Through the beauties of nature, Sophia shows Isabelle the earthly joys that still await her and reassures her that they will be sisters forever. The book is interactive and therapeutic.
Ages: 4 to 8
This story helps children understand that people grieve in different ways. After the death of their friend Eleanor the Elephant, her animal friends feel a range of emotions such as sadness, fear, anger, and guilt. Some need to play, some need to be alone, some need to talk, and some need to ask questions. The book also shows that grief can lead to personal growth. As the animals remember how Eleanor took care of them, they begin to recognize their individual strengths and talents, and to use them to help the group survive.
Ages: 4 and up
Discusses the questions, fears, and fantasies many children experience when a parent or someone close to them dies.
Lifetimes is a moving book for children of all ages, even parents too. It lets us explain life and death in a sensitive, caring, beautiful way. Lifetimes tells us about beginnings. And about endings. And about living in between. With large, wonderful illustrations, it tells about plants. About animals. About people. It tells that dying is as much a part of living as being born. It helps us to remember. It helps us to understand.
Ages: 2 to 5
When Liplap wakes to find the ground covered with the first snow of the year, he can hardly wait to build a snowbunny. He pulls on his winter clothes and hops outside—lip lap, lip lap—as quickly as he can. But something's not right. As Liplap builds his snowbunny, he realizes that for the first time, his grandmother isn't there to help him. In this truly moving book, the heartwarming text and tender illustrations provide reassuring comfort as they remind us that the power of love and memory can transcend the sadness and confusion that comes with any kind of loss or separation.
Ages: 2 to 4
Sixteen young people ranging in age from ten to twenty-four describe the fears, sorrow, and other emotions they experienced when a brother or sister died.
Este libro cuenta la historia de Carter y su familia de camaleones y cómo trabajan los colores de dolor y amor cuando un miembro de su familia muere repentinamente. Es una historia interactiva completa con preguntas que pueden ayudarte a ti y tu niño a platicar sobre los colores de su duelo propio.
Edades: 5 a 7
Jeremy learns that his father is dying of cancer and feels trapped between grief and a required outward show of strength, and then Tess takes him in hand and helps him carry on.
Ages: 10 to 12
Through the story of a man who grieves the loss of his son, this book examines the complex, multifaceted nature of the feeling of sadness. It also shows the importance of using memory and pleasurable activities to find relief from this powerful emotion. This book could be used effectively with adolescents, but might not be appropriate for young children because it requires capacity for abstract thinking to generalize the emotional experience from the book’s specific theme, the death of a child.
Ages: Adolescents
Missing Hannah" is a small feeling book about a big problem facing many families. Sudden infant death, sometimes called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) causes a great deal of trauma. Facing the death of a child is always difficult for both children and parents. This book will help the child feel and share their pain as they read along with the little girl in the story who tells about her baby sister who died suddenly one night. Questions from young children are especially challenging and sometimes all it takes is a simple picture book to help children understand why they feel so sad. The straight forward and sensitive writing style along with the beautiful drawings will be a story they will read over and over.
Ages: 2 to 6
This book targets children ages 4 to 7 and offers an anecdote in which a young girl named Molly is sad about her mother's miscarriage. Her family works through their grief together and plants a rosebush.
A fantastic midnight journey teaches two young mice that the presence of loved ones who have died is with them – in the stars, in nature, in their memories, and in their hearts. Consistent with the book’s message, the beautiful illustrations combine realism with touches of fantasy.
Ages: Any
A child goes through the difficult process of adjusting to the sudden illness and death of a brother.
Ages: 10 to 14
After his older brother is killed in a car accident, sixteen-year-old Bobby tries to come to terms with some disturbing truths about his family and political corruption in their town as well as deal with his profound grief and the beginnings of first love.
My Sibling Still is written as a love letter from a sibling lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death to any surviving siblings. It walks through the emotions that a child and his or her family may experience following a loss while also depicting the loving presence of the deceased child in the family's life.
It all started at the carnival… That’s where Joey makes a new friend: a bright yellow balloon. Joey and his beloved balloon do everything together, until the balloon accidentally slips off Joey’s wrist and flies far, far away. What will Joey do without his special friend? Tiffany Papageorge has crafted a poignant tale of love, loss, and letting go that will serve as a comforting guide to children who are navigating the complicated emotions of grief. Rich, luminous illustrations by Erwin Madrid perfectly capture these timeless themes, making them accessible to even the youngest reader.
Ages: 3 to 8
When her favorite brother disappears in the desert forever, Nadia refuses to let him be forgotten, despite her father's bitter decree that his name shall not be uttered.
Ages: 2 to 6
For siblings who have a brother or sister die before birth. This storybook talks about the different feelings children have and answers some of the most asked questions.
Ages: 8 to 10
After his father dies, Kai experiences all kinds of emotions: sadness, anger, fear, guilt. Sometimes they crash and mix together. Other times, there are no emotions at all―just flatness. As Kai and his family adjust to life without Dad, the waves still roll in. But with the help of friends and one another, they learn to cope―and, eventually, heal. A lyrical story about grieving for anyone encountering loss.
A moving and eloquent chronicle of eleven children, ranging from toddlers to teenagers, who have lost family or friends shows how drawing, music, and other rituals can help the grieving process, offering creative strategies for dealing with loss.
Perfectly Imperfect Family beautifully demonstrates how a brother loves, honors, and includes his sister, who died before he was born, in the family's special days and every day. Oftentimes referred to as a rainbow baby, children born after the death of a sibling often wonder about the one who came before them. Perfectly Imperfect Family acknowledges the stigma associated with pregnancy loss, infant death, sibling grief, and including a baby who has died by demonstrating loving ways in which a family can continue to celebrate their beloved baby.
Ages: 1 to 9
After the death of her best friend and classmate Rudi, a young girl helps create a memorial pond and finds special comfort in the presence of a hummingbird, which reminds her of good times they shared. This book helps children see how engaging in activities in memory of the loved one can help relieve the pain of loss and forge continuing bonds.
Ages: 6 and older
For use by parents, counselors and group leaders to help children deal with feelings of pain and sadness by reassuring them that the world is safe, they are loved, and that people do feel better after loss. Helps create a space for children to express feelings, discusses the role of memory in healing, and addresses young children’s common concerns that they somehow caused the death.
Ages: 3 and older
After his father dies, Sam explains how he feels and what he can do to better his grieving process.
Ages: 6 to 8
Frightened, lonely, and angry after her father is dies in a car accident, Clare is helped through the grieving process by her mother and grandfather.
Ages: 4 to 8
This boy's journey through grief is told in both Spanish and English. It is told with colorful illustrations that allow readers to use their own active imaginations. This is a small book, filled with wisdom. It will provide much information, solace and hope for families facing such loss. A resource page for parents and professionals is included.
There are books for children to help them when the baby they are waiting for dies. And now there is a book for the child who comes after the one who died. It s a perfect gift just for them. It explains in a gentle way the parents desire for a child and the sadness that comes over them when that baby dies. It then shares how the parents, with the help of the baby, get to the point of wanting another child to come into their lives. The illustrator, Taylor Bills, who has an extraordinary gift of capturing feelings in his drawings that tell the story beyond words. Includes suggestions about keeping your baby‘s memory alive.
Ages: Preschool
This book explores feelings that young children have when someone special dies, and how preserving memories helps keep the person with us after their physical presence is gone.
Ages: 4 to 9
Sophie loves her Grandpa. And her Grandpa loves Sophie. They are best friends. And then one day there is no Grandpa. . . . Family love and the natural cycle of birth, life, and death are tenderly portrayed in this moving story.
Ages: 4 to 7
Stacy sometimes feels jealous of her new baby sister Ashley, wishing she would go away, but when Ashley dies of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Stacy must find a way to cope with her guilt and with her family's loss.
Ages: 4 to 8
If you are a teenager whose friend or relative has died, this book was written for you. Earl A. Grollman, the award-winning author of Living When a Loved One Has Died, explains what to expect when you lose someone you love.
Ages: Adolescent
After learning more about his father, who had died when he was a baby, Jonathan decides that he will sing a special song for his mother in the school Christmas pageant.
Ages: 5 to 7
This story tells the tale of Carter and his Chameleon Family and how they process the colors of their loss and love in the unexpected death of their family member. This interactive story is complete with talking points to help you and your child begin to discuss the colors of your own grieving.
Ages: 5 to 7
This sensitively-written book addresses children’s questions about what happens to the body when it dies, and the role of burial and funeral rituals in healing.
Ages: 4 to 8
Appropriate for all ages—from toddlers to adults—and featuring beautiful nature photographs throughout, this poignant, thought-provoking story follows Freddie and his companions as their leaves change with the passing seasons and the coming of winter, finally falling to the ground with winter's snow.
A young girl, grieving the loss of her mother, strives to find the giant that her mother promised would look after her. With lyrical prose her story unfolds- the seasons change, summer turns to fall, and throughout, one constant remains. The young girl does have a giant looking out for her. He's been with her all along.
Ages: 4-8
Through the lens of a pet fish who has lost his companion, Todd Parr tells a moving and wholly accessible story about saying goodbye. Touching upon the host of emotions children experience, Todd reminds readers that it's okay not to know all the answers, and that someone will always be there to support them. An invaluable resource for life's toughest moments.
This book by an art therapist and mental health counselor is for children aged six and older, with interactive activities designed to help children express both thoughts and feelings related to death and loss. Parents, counselors, can use this resource to help children cope with loss. Recommended by the National Center for Grieving Children / Dougy Center.
In this unique and compassionate guide, renowned grief counselor Helen Fitzgerald turns her attention to the special needs of adolescents struggling with loss and gives teens the tools they need to work through their pain and grief.
Ages: 15 to 19
A Chinese-American girl pays tribute to her grandfather as she assists in the preparations for his funeral.
Ages: 8 to 10
This book normalizes the range of feelings, addresses common questions children have about death, and offers children activities to help them through the process of grief after loss. It is designed for children aged 6 to 13. The National Center for Grieving Children / Dougy Center recommends this resource for any adult who is involved in helping children cope with grief.
Ages: 6 to 13
In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string. "That's impossible!" the children insist, but still they want to know more: "What kind of string?" The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: An Invisible String made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love. Does everybody have an Invisible String? How far does it reach? Does it ever go away? This heartwarming picture book for all ages explores questions about the intangible yet unbreakable connections between us, and opens up deeper conversations about love.
Ages: 3 and older
This book offers insight to understanding suicide, along with solutions to coping with death from suicide amongst teenagers.
From the perspective of a young child, author Joanna Rowland artfully describes what it's like to remember and grieve a loved one who has died. The child in the story wonders if she will forget the person who has gone. Other days I wonder if I'll ever stop feeling sad you are gone. The main character creates a memory box to keep mementos and written memories of her loved one to help with the grieving process. Throughout the narrative, the child's feelings are acknowledged, allowed, and assured that feelings are normal and healthy to express. Heartfelt and comforting, The Memory Box helps children, parents, educators, therapists, and social workers talk about this very difficult topic together.
Ages: 4 to 8
When something sad happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to act, and one by one they fail to offer comfort. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen, which is just what Taylor needs.
This book uses a child’s sadness about the death of his cat, Barney, to help address children’s feelings, questions about what happens after death, and death in the context of the cycle of life. It also illustrates the power of memory to help children heal.
Ages: 3 to 8
Elizabeth Margaret Simon was born on a Mother's Day and named for her parents' maternal grandmother. Her brother, Jack, called her Libby. Libby was born with a rare disorder and she wasn't expected to live six months. She lived three and one half years. On October 19th, 1994, Libby died. Jack was five-years-old and he struggled to understand. Jack's mom kept a diary the year after Libby's death. These are Jack's words. They are poignant, hopeful, sad and real, absolutely typical of grieving kids. Yet Jack thought no one else in the world could possibly know how he felt. Grief invites questions. Questions with no right or wrong answers. Questions with no answers at all. Questions like these. Use this book for discussion or perhaps, just for listening. Strong simple graphics and a universal story make this book appropriate for people of all ages and faiths. It is also easily translated into other languages.
Ages: 3 to 11
A book written from the point of view of a fifth grader, discussing death and a family’s reaction to it.
Ages: 10 and up
Boris von der Borch is a mean, greedy old pirate--tough as nails, through and through, like all pirates. Or is he? When a young boy sneaks onto Boris's ship, he discovers that Boris and his mates aren't quite what he expected. As it turns out, the boy is what Boris needed to help him through this difficult time.
Ages: 3 to 6
This 24-page picture book that aims to help parents explain pregnancy loss to children.
This illustrated dictionary aims to provide children with a vocabulary to ask questions about death, grief and loss, and to equip adults to provide age-appropriate explanations. The first three pages provide suggestions for how parents and others can use the book with grieving children.
Ages: 6 and older
Straightforward and comprehensive, this indispensable book is a comforting aid to help young kids and families through a difficult time in their lives. No one can really understand death, but to children, the passing away of a loved one can be especially perplexing and troublesome. This is true whether the loss is a family member, friend, or pet. Here to offer advice and reassurance are the wise dinosaurs from the bestselling Dino Tale series. This succinct and thorough guide helps dispel the mystery and negative connotations associated with death, providing answers to kids' most-often asked questions.
Ages: 2 to 5
This treasure of a book, for people of all faiths, is a starting point for parents who must talk about the difficult topic of death with their children. What should parents say when a loved one dies? Heaven is a difficult subject that always comes up at tough times, and Maria Shriver has written a very special book precisely for these stressful moments. What's Heaven? is the story of Kate, a little girl whose great-grandma has just died. She seeks answers, and her mother helps her learn about Heaven. The many questions in this book are real, coming from Shriver's own children, nieces, and nephews when her grandmother Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy passed away.
Ages: 5 to 8
For any child who has lost a loved one or other special person, What On Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies? is a simple, insightful, and straight from the heart book about what death means and how to cope. With concrete advice and expressive illustrations, this book offers comfort and reassurance to children who are grieving and suggests meaningful ways to remember and honor the person who has died. "And I hope you believe me when I say that you won't always feel as sad and hurt and confused as you do now. Maybe not right away, but in the coming weeks or months, you will feel better."
Ages: 9 to 12
This book, by an LICSW and registered art therapist, provides text and a framework for illustrations that are to be done by the grieving child. The text addresses death as part of the life cycle; common questions children have about death; mourning rituals and ways to think about spirituality; accepting and acknowledging emotions including anger, fear, sadness, and guilt as well as happiness and joy; and the role of memory in healing. The first three pages contain tips for adults about how to use the book with children.
Ages: 6 to 12
Uses a story format to introduce death and bereavement. Explains how death is a natural part of life, including why people die, how people express grief in different ways.
Where Are You: A Child's Book About Loss is a kind and supportive text with beautiful illustrations designed to help children of all ages cope with the loss of a loved one. It is created with love and care so that even the youngest readers will find comfort during this stressful and difficult time.
Ages: 4 to 8
This beautifully exploration of the death of a sibling for children of all ages. The matter fact conversations which touch on profound issues and then go back to “What’s for tea?”, so typical of children, are beautifully captured and provide a safe, inspiring space for children and adults to explore grief.
Ages: 2 to 7
This short book, illustrated delightfully by a 7-year-old artist, answers questions that young children have when a sibling dies. Topics covered include, “Where do people go when they die? What does it mean to be dead?” “Can my parents handle it if I cry or talk about missing my sibling?” “Is the death somehow my fault?” It uses simple language and a child’s point of view.
Ages: 3 to 8
The book asks, "When somebody dies, where do they go? / Do they go where the wind goes when it blows? ... Do they wink back at me when I wish on a star? Do they whisper, 'You're perfect, just as you are'? ..." Illustrated by Vermont woodcut artist, Sabra Field, Where Do They Go? is a beautiful and comforting meditation on death, asking questions young readers might have about what happens to those they love after they die.