Grief

Grief Books

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst - This book explains that people are always connected to those they love, even when they are not physically present, by an invisible string.

The Memory Box: A Book About Grief by Joanna Rowland - This book does a fantastic job of highlighting some questions and emotions children face following a death, specifically being afraid the loved one will be forgotten.

I Miss You by by Pat Thomas - 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.

Samantha's Missing Smile by Donna Pincus - This is a story about coping with the loss of a parent, specifically a father.

Always and Forever by Debi Gliori & Alan Durant - This story 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. It shows children that there can be joy following grief.

The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr - This story is simple and never explicitly states there has been a death. The illustrations suggest a death of a goldfish. The generalized nature of the story and emphasis on emotions makes it a book that could be flexible to other types of good-byes (divorce, move) that children experience.

Bug in a Vacuum by Melanie Watt - This story follows a fly who gets stuck in a vacuum and takes the reader through the five stages of the Kubler-Ross model. It's not a book I'd use with young children as they are unlikely to understand the metaphor. When kids do get it, it brings a bit of humor to the grief process with the animated illustrations.