Grief & Loss
Grief and Loss can relate to mourning the death of a person important to a member of the family, in addition to important individuals in a students life no longer being present due to extenuating circumstances.
Loss can be related to a person,thing, relationship, or situation.
This presentation below will prepare parents with a foundation of understanding of grief and loss, as well as tips for helping yourself and your student navigate the stages of grief.
Below are books that I recommend that have the topic of grief or loss and are elementary age appropriate, as well as a Sesame Street resource for Grief and Loss.
Books on Grief and Loss.pdf
This is my personal favorite book on grief and it also can work for providing comfort through divorce as well, as it's a comforting message for all ages. The Invisible String explains that people are always connected to those they love, even when they aren’t physically present, by an invisible string. I have found that students enjoy carrying an actual string to represent the story so that they have a tangible reminder of the message. This book also works well for children struggling with family separations or separation anxiety. Of note, the book specifically mentions heaven following a question by a character in the story.
Todd Parr has a gift in reaching children with his messages and illustrations. This story is simple, and never explicitly states there has been a death. It’s fair for the reader to assume that there is a death due to the illustrations (a frowning goldfish is alone in a fishbowl and other images show that there used to be 2 fish), but the generalized nature of the story & emphasis on emotions makes it a book that could be flexible to other types of goodbyes that children experience.
Sesame Street has a magical way of taking difficult topics and making them comfortable and accessible for children. It provides excellent guidance for families to help navigate grief, with an emphasis on validating emotions. The story book, featuring popular characters from the show, gives wonderful examples as to how children can remember a loved one. As a bonus, the resource also comes in Spanish.
Always and Forever illustrates how multiple characters are experiencing grief following the death of their friend. Eventually, the animals come together to honor their friend at the end. I love how it shows children that there can be joy following grief.
The Memory Box does a fantastic job of highlighting some questions and emotions children face following a death, specifically being afraid that the loved one will be forgotten. It sets the stage to create a memory box with children and have them clearly understand the purpose of the activity. There is no mention of any specific faith or religion, and the beautiful illustrations are a bonus.
This is a great book for younger children as it does a nice job of explaining death in concrete terms and grieving in a culturally-sensitive manner. It breaks down adult language and terms around death and grief while taking the reader through what happens following a death. I Miss You explicitly acknowledges different belief systems without going into religious or cultural specifics.
Ida, Always is an exquisitely told story of two best friends—inspired by a real bear friendship—and a gentle, moving, needed reminder that loved ones lost will stay in our hearts, always.