These books have been recommended by a variety of experienced providers and support personnel, and may be helpful for children of various ages. We recommend that parent(s) read the book beforehand to make sure it is a good fit for your particular child and situation.
Books About Grief and Loss:
- Always and Forever (Allen Durant)
- Always My Twin (Valerie R. Samuels, Najah Clemmons)
- Badger’s Parting Gifts (Susan Varley)
- Being Sad When Someone Dies: A Book About Grief (Linus Mundy, Anne Fitzgerald)
- Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson)
- Children Grieve Too (Joy Johnson, Marvin Johnson)
- Dancing on the Moon (Janice Roper)
- Ethan’s Butterflies: A Spiritual Book for Parents and Young Children After a Baby’s Passing (Cristine Jonas-Simpson, Karin Friis)
- Fire in My Heart, Ice in My Veins: A Journal for Teenagers Experiencing a Loss (Enid Samuel Traisman)
- Forever Connected (Jessica Correnti, Cate Maskell)
- Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying (Joyce C. Mills)
- Goodbye Sister: A Sibling’s Book for Infant Loss (Kimberly Newton)
- Grief is Like a Snowflake (Julia Cook)
- Healing a Child’s Grieving Heart (Allen Wolfelt)
- Help Me Say Goodbye (Janis Silverman)
- How I Feel: A Coloring Book for Grieving Children (Allen Wolfelt)
- I Am Still a Big Brother (Ella Mody)
- Ida, Always (Caron Levis)
- I Miss You: A First Look at Death (Pat Thomas)
- I’ll Always Love You (Hans Wilhelm)
- In Loving Memory: A Child’s Journey to Understanding a Funeral and Starting the Grieving Process (Lacie Brueckner, Katherine Pendergast, Kat Socks)
- Life is Like the Wind (Shona Innes, Irisz Agocs)
- Lifetimes, a Beautiful Way to Explain Death (Bryan Mellonie, Robert Ingpen)
- Love Never Stops (Emilio Parga)
- My Yellow Balloon (Tiffany Papageorge, Erwin Madrid)
- No New Baby (Marilyn Gryte)
- Perfectly Imperfect Family (Amie Lands, Natia Gogiashvili)
- Remember the Secret (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross)
- Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss (Michaelene Mundy)
- Something Happened: A Book for Children and Parents Who Have Experienced Pregnancy Loss (Cathy Blanford)
- Stacy Had a Little Sister (Wendie Old)
- Straight Talk About Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love (Earl A. Grollman)
- Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss (Pat Schwiebert)
- The Dead Bird (Margaret Wise Brown, Christian Robinson)
- The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages (Leo Buscaglia)
- The Goodbye Book (Todd Parr)
- The Invisible String (Patrice Karst)
- There Was a Baby: A Book for Siblings After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Death (Laura Camerona)
- The Memory Box: A Book About Grief (Joanna Rowland)
- This Book is for All Kids, but Especially My Sister Libby. Libby Died. (Jack Simon)
- Tough Boris (Mem Foxx)
- Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children (Doris Stickney, Gloria Claudia Ortiz)
- What Happens When a Loved One Dies? Our First Talk About Death (Jillian Roberts and Cindy Revell)
- When Dinosaurs Die (Laurie Krasny Brown, Marc Brown)
- When Something Terrible Happens: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief (Marge Heegaard)
- When Someone Very Special Dies: Child Can Learn to Cope with Grief (Drawing Out Feelings; Marge Heegaard)
- Where’s Jess? For Children Who Have a Brother or Sister Die (Marvin Johnson)
- 35 Ways to Help a Grieving Child (Dougy Center Staff)
Books About Feelings and Emotions:
- The Feelings Book (Todd Parr)
- My Many Colored Days (Dr. Seuss)
- What Am I Feeling? (Josh Straub and Chrisi Straub)
- In My Heart: A Book of Feelings (Jo Witek and Christine Roussey)
Other Resources:
- Arkansas Children’s Center for Good Mourning
- https://www.methodistfamily.org/kaleidoscope-grief-center/
- Free book to help explain the loss of a baby: https://www.specialdeliverybook.org/
- Refer a bereaved sibling for a special gift: https://www.charliesguys.org/