Children's Books About Grief and Feelings After a Death
* This image uses the old name of the ‘Is There a Book for That?’ blog/book list.
This week I am sharing books that help families talk about the different feelings people can have after a death. Most people associated death and sadness, but what about anger and laughter and tummy aches. Everyone's grief experience is unique, but also, there can be common experiences. These books can help families process how they are feeling and feel less alone in their grief. Read below to find the right fit for your family - or just add them all to your grief library.
*=books available in Spanish
Also, I am trying something new - adding links to each of the books to make them easy for your to find. In full disclosure, I do make make a commission if you purchase through the link, but it is the same cost for you and the author makes the same amount of money. My hope is that this will allow me to spend more hours each week fiding the best resources for your families and kiddos.
What Does Grief Feel Like? by Korie Leigh, Phd
This book was written by a child life specialist. The book is written from the perspective of a child who has experienced the death of someone special. The child addresses common questions and thoughts kids have regarding a death and the feelings they have after. The book is worded in a way that gives kids a chance to share about their own loss. The book labels grief and acknowledges that grief can come from lots of kinds of loss. This very special resource could be a very important tool for a caregiver or a professional to talk about grief in a relatable and easy to understand way. Good for preschool through middle elementary.
https://amzn.to/4oql15m
Grief is an Elephant by Tamara Ellis Smith
This book helps kids relate to grief and the many ways it can feel, but making analogies to different animals. If you have a literal child, they may need an adult to further explain why grief is like each of these animals - as the text is very basic. It is a great conversation starter and could be good for elementary school kids.
Kindle - https://amzn.to/4obnQqR
Paperback - https://amzn.to/3Km2V6j
More Than Sad by Laura Camerona *
This is another one of my books (written by a child life specialist) that was commissioned by a local non-profit who wanted there to be more support for adults who wanted to “walk with” there children and all the things their child might be feeling. The book talks about many possible feelings children might have and how they might present. The end of the book then digs deeper into ways to process each of these feelings when they are “big”. This book will be soon be available in Spanish as well. Good for ages preschool through elementary.
https://amzn.to/43u4XaV
The ABCs of Grief by Jessica Correnti
The ABCs of Grief: Emotions and Feelings by Jessica Correnti
The ABCs of Grief: Coping by Jessica Correnti
I am going to review all of these beautiful books together. The series has all been written by a child life specialist who specializes in children’s grief. The books use a familiar style of talking through the alphabet and finding a word that starts with each letter that relates to grief and loss. In this way, there is no storyline, but Jessica brings up a variety of important ideas that relate to grief. This could start some important conversations about how each word relates - good for caregiver/child, therapist/child, or support groups. The first book covers the basics of grief, the second focuses on the many emotions and feelings that grief can bring, and the final book (which I have not read yet as it is just finishing its Kickstarter phase - go support!) will focus on the many ways to cope with grief. This book would be great for elementary-aged kids, but the benefits are definitely enhanced by the conversations it started between readers.
https://amzn.to/4qWPev8
https://amzn.to/3LANKqo
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theabcsofgrief/the-abcs-of-grief-coping
The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr *
Looking for something simple? This is your book. It is a great starting place for young children walking through loss for the first time. It acknowledges things they might feel - emotions, but also lack of appetite or ability to find fun. It then acknowledges that there will be days that they feel good again. This can be reassuring, but it also could come across as dismissive. Make sure to let children know that they can feel however they feel and that they don’t have to be happy, sad, or “better” for you or for anyone.
https://amzn.to/3LYiMs4
The Hole by Lindsey Bonilla
This book is about a young girl. Her brother dies and now she finds a hole in all of the places he used to be. Her hole comes with her to school, and she notices that other people have holes too. At one point, the hole becomes too consuming. She goes into the hole and is mad. She lets it all out, and then she feels a little better. Her friend helps her out of the hole and asks to hear more about her brother. At dinner things are a little lighter as she shares a silly antic that her brother used to do. In all, this analogy might help some kids feel seen and less alone. It might encourage them to let their feelings out. For literal kids, adults will need to explain, as the concept of a hole might not make sense. Good for elementary school kids.
https://amzn.to/4oE5Q9v
