Helpful Picture Books on Death and Grief: Part 2
In Part 1 of Helpful Books on Death and Grief, I rounded up the most helpful books on an overview of death and working through grief. In Part 2 of Helpful Books on Death and Grief, I added picture books supporting different specific losses. Losing a loved one is never easy, especially when you yourself are grieving and then need to explain the loss to a child. I came up with these two lists to help assist you as you navigate grieving and working with kids through their grief. Picture books can touch so many levels of readers, so be open to sharing these with older and younger readers. Use the books for comfort, conversation starters, and reminders of cherished memories. Losing a loved one is hard, and I hope this list will give you comfort and help with working through your grief. Many books listed have tips for helping navigate conversations and grief with children.
Help find the words, gain comfort, coping ideas, and help moving forward after losing a loved one with this important list of books about death. Death is something we all will face at some point in our lives; it has no exclusions. If you're a parent like me, you may have struggled to speak with your kids about a loved one who passed or about death in general. If you do struggle or are struggling, pick up one or several of these books to help. Be sure to check out part one for even more helpful suggestions. These unfortunate but necessary books can help caregivers address the different stages of grief from loss with kids and open up conversations that give caregivers insight into how the child is processing the loss. They can also be therapeutic to the adults who are reading them, too. They've helped my kids and me as we've navigated losses over the past few years.
This list includes picture books when a grandparent, parent, sibling, pregnancy/infant loss, friend, or pet dies. Scroll through the headings to find the book(s) most relevant to your loss. I am so sorry for your loss and sending love your way.
Please also look through my book list on death and grief, part one, where I rounded up the most helpful books on death itself and additional books for grief.
If you're here because you or someone you know has lost a loved one, I am so sorry. My love goes out to you. I hope you find a book(s) on my list today to help you cope and open up conversations during this difficult time.
**Tip: If you would feel more comfortable sharing one of these by having someone else read it, some of these books have been read aloud by someone on YouTube. You can look up the book, watch it one time without the kids, and then one time together, talking about it afterward.
Specific Loss
Grandparent
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs
by Tomie dePaola
Tommy visits his Nana Downstairs, his grandmother and Nana Upstairs, his great-grandmother every week, and loves eating sweets, listening to stories, and spending time with his grandmothers. One day, Tommy's mother tells him that his Nana Upstairs has died. They talk about death, and Tommy is sad. He uses his unforgettable memories as comfort and sees a shooting star described as a "kiss" from his great-grandmother after her passing.
George loves Saturdays because Saturdays are spend having the best time with Stella. Whether they are going to the dinosaur museum downtown or making cinnamon rolls at home, every Saturday is an adventure with Stella. Until Stella is no longer around one Saturday, then every Saturday is terrible for George. When his new sister arrives, it's not the same, but George is able to recreate some of the happy memories from his time with Stella with his new sister.
Grandad's Island
by Benji Davies
I love this endearing way of a final goodbye between a grandpa and his grandson, Sid. To be clear, it does not come out to say that Sid's grandpa died, but this is a comforting and sweet read with kids. When Sid visits his Grandad, he finds him in the attic, and together, they go through a secret door onto a ship. The ship travels to a tropical island where Sid and Grandad have many adventures together until it's time to leave. Grandad says he's decided to stay, and Sid must go home alone. When Sid visits his Grandad at his house again, he's not there, and the secret door is gone. However, a special note arrives via toucan, letting Sid know that Grandad is happy and saying hello.
Remembering Grandpa
by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Layne Johnson
In this story of loss, coping, and remembrance, Daysha's grandpa passed away, and her grandma has a bad case of sadness. Daysha doesn't remember sadness being part of her grandpa, so she looks for a "cure." Daysha hauls her wagon around and collects things that bring back happy memories with her grandpa. She shares her findings with her grandma; together, they share smiles and tears as they remember grandpa. A super sweet story with a beautiful way of remembering someone who has passed away. This book acknowledges that grandpa isn't alive anymore, and grandma is sad about it. The story tells about how the characters moved forward with the memories of Daysha's grandpa.
The Treasure Box
by Dave Keane, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell
Searching for and sharing treasures with her grandpa is the little girl in this story's favorite thing to do. Things slowly change as the story progresses, with grandpa getting sick and eventually passing. Unique to this book, the grandpa uses an oxygen tank, not seen often in kid lit. Grandma shares some special things left by grandpa for her after he's passed.
Grandpa's Stories: A Book of Remembering
by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Allison Colpoys
It is a heartfelt story about a little girl and her grandfather and their shared memories. The granddaughter highlights her year with her grandpa, looking through each season and their fun and memorable times together, holding hands, racing cars, and telling stories. Grandpa gives her a rainbow pencil and a handmade notebook with instructions to "write and draw all your dreams." One day, it shows the little girl and her mom feeling sad with Grandpa's empty chair nearby. As they clean out Grandpa's room, the granddaughter finds one last new handmade notebook with her name on it, made by her grandpa. So tender and loving, this book captures that special bond, allowing sadness and the happiness of memories to have the final say.
The Remembering Stone
by Carey Sookocheff
A young girl brings a stone for show and tell, not just any stone. This was a perfect skipping rock found by her Grandpa and given to her before there was a next time to go. After this story, the classmates all want to take a closer look at the stone at recess, but when Alice reaches into her pocket, it's no longer there. Everyone volunteers to help find the stone, but none seem quite right. What will Alice do? Can she find a new way to remember her Grandpa?
The Sour Cherry Tree
by Naseem Hrab, illustrated by Nahid Kazemi
Baba Bozorg passed away yesterday. His granddaughter and daughter go to take care of a few things at his house. The visit comes with all the memories of when Baba Bozorg was with them. The memories are sweet and told by his granddaughter as she revisits places in the house, remembering Baba Bozorg. A sweet and endearing read highlighting the love between a grandfather and granddaughter.
Parent
Some Days
by Maria Wernicke
Precise and short wording leaves this story open to interpretation and with room for conversation. The illustrations are simple, using red to highlight parts throughout the story. So it does not come out and say that the girl lost a father/grandfather figure, but that is what the illustrations and text elude to have happened—complicated for a child to pick up without further conversations and experience. What's lovely is the girl's mention of looking for a safe and loving passage where no one gets hurt and her imagination of this. I also loved the ending where the mom goes with the girl to look for the passageway, like an "I'm here with you" message of love.
The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden
by Heather Smith, illustrated by Rachel Wada
This true story is a powerful and heartbreaking read. Many lives were claimed when the tsunami hit. Those left behind struggle with the loss of those closest to them. Mr. Hirota makes a phone booth, and people use it from miles around to come and "talk" to loved ones lost. This innovative coping mechanism is such a unique and comforting tool. I love how Mr. Hirota builds it initially for himself and how it ends up helping so many people, as well as his next-door neighbor, a child who lost his father, from whose perspective the story is told.
Cape
by Kevin Johnson, illustrated by Kitt Thomas
A boy dons his red cape for a day filled with sadness and memories, a funeral of a loved one. The cape helps him to block out the memories to give him comfort and strength. Eventually, the memories reach him, a mix of joy and sadness. A delicate read that shows the process of experiencing grief. (The author’s note identifies this male role model as his father. However, the loved one is not explicitly stated in the book, just shown in memory pictures so that it could match more situations potentially. )
Missing Mommy
by Rebecca Cobb
The story begins with the illustrations showing a young child surrounded by black coats and umbrellas, symbolizing a funeral. Where Mommy is, why Mommy left, and what's going on are very confusing to the young child, as it's told from their perspective. The language is simple, and Daddy responds and answers these questions later in the book. There are tears and moments of sadness, but overall it is relatively more on a happier note. The simplicity and addressing commonly confusing areas about death from a child's perspective are helpful.
The Laugh
by Fay Evans, illustrated by Ayse Klinge
A child grows up hearing the loveliest laugh from her mother, a laughter that was contagious and full of joy wherever she went, and even when she became sick, a smile was still in her eyes. After the mother dies, the laughter leaves, too, and the child wonders if she'll ever find it again. Sweet, simple, and touching to readers, it's one to check out and relate to the joy before the death, grief around the death, and then eventually finding joy again.
Mouseboat
by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Abigail Halpin
This story is about a daughter and father navigating life after the loss of the mom/wife. The girl feels lost without her mom and tries to find a connection with her again. A storm brings the father and daughter closer together.
Lost in the Clouds
by DK, illustrated by Tom Tinn-Disbury
Billy's mommy died, and he now thinks she lives in the clouds. After trying to climb up to her, he falls, and his dad catches him. Together, they start to work through the grief more—further info about grief is in the back of the book.
The Boy and the Gorilla
by Jackie Azua Kramer, illustrated by Cindy Derby
A gorilla shows up to comfort and answers all of a boy's questions after his mother dies; difficult questions to ask like, "How do you know when someone dies?" and "Can't my mom come back home?" Moving and simple worded story with soft watercolor illustrations, perfect for helping kids connect and understand more about death.
Mom’s Sweater
by Jayde Perkin
"Some people say that grief gets smaller over time. But Dad says it's a little more complicated than that. Dad says the grief is like Mom's sweater. The sweater stays the same size, but I will eventually grow into it. The grief may stay the same size. But my world will grow bigger around it."
A girl and her dad have a loving visit with her mom in the hospital. There is no description of why she was there, so this can be left to interpretation. The next day, they receive a call that Mom died in the night. The girl and her dad struggle and work through their heartbreaking loss together. The girl begins to wear her mom's sweater every day to help with the grief. Well done and told from the girl's point of view.
Who Will Love Me When You're Gone?
by Anna Friend
When Jack's mum talks to him about a time when she'll no longer be around to care for him, Jack wonders if her love will disappear, too. Together, they talk of ways Jack can still be close to his Mum and feel her love for him. Short story at just ten pages long. The rest of the book has support resources and activities to help.
My Big Dumb Invisible Dragon
by Angie Lucas, illustrated by Birgitta Sif
An invisible dragon appears the day the boy's mother dies. No matter how hard he tries, the invisible dragon won't go away and stops him from moving about as freely as he used to move. It takes time and acceptance, but eventually, the dragon is smaller and occasionally disappears. The invisible dragon is a metaphor for the boy's grief surrounding the loss of his mother and how he tries to navigate life with her gone now. Sometimes, the personification of big feelings can help littles relate to and express their feelings.
Miscarriage/Pregnancy Loss/Infant Loss
Dear Star Baby
by Malcolm Newsome, illustrated by Kamala Nair
A big brother writes a letter to his Star Baby. He tells about finding out he'll be a big brother to helping prepare for the baby, to finding out that the baby went to be with the stars instead. He tells of changes with Mama and Daddy and watching the stars together. There's a touching author's note in the back.
Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love
by Saira Mir, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani
Raya is excited to be getting a little sister. She has a little brother, but she dreams of her new little sister, already named Nura, meaning "beautiful light" in Arabic. When Mama goes in for a checkup one day, she returns with sad news about Nura.
The Girl Who Lives in the Sky
by Jodi Kalson, illustrated by Vanessa Alexandre
The Girl Who Lives in the Sky is about twin girls born, one stayed, and one left to live in the sky. The one who stayed dreamed of all the wonderful things her sister in the sky was doing and attempted to do some of the same activities. I love the positive spin on everything, including the girl who lives in the sky in their lives. It's obvious that the family that stayed still loves the girl who went to live in the sky. It shows them sharing memories and imagining what the girl in the sky might be doing. It ends so sweetly, saying the girl in the sky will remain in her heart and one day soon they'll meet again.
Sibling
Finn's Feather
by Rachel Noble, illustrated by Zoey Abbott
One day, Finn finds a beautiful white feather on his doorstep, which he knows to be a gift from his brother Hamish, who is now an angel in Heaven. His mom and teacher both do a sad, alright sweetie answer, but his friend, Lucas, is there to help celebrate the happiness the feather brings. Told from a child's perspective and leaving readers uplifted after reading, this book has much going for it.
Friend
Ida, Always
by Caron Levis, illustrated by Charles Santoso
Based on a true story about two polar bears' loving friendship, this beautiful and honest book tells what happens before and during Ida becoming sick and what Gus does after Ida dies. The book shows happy and sad moments and hopes that love stays on even after death. If a child you know knows someone terminally ill, this might be a loving story to share with them and maybe open some dialogue to the mystery of what's happening.
Various Loved Ones
Still Mine
by Jayne Pillemer, illustrated by Sheryl Murray
"What will I do if I don't have you? Are You still mine?"
This story highlights five different children and the loss of various loved ones. The loss of a father, grandparent, sibling, and friend are the different loved ones that pass. It shows that the love shared is still around even though the kids can no longer see or touch that loved one anymore.
Pet
When a Pet Dies
by Fred Rogers
Mr. Rogers just had a way of speaking with kids that is acknowledging and comforting, which shines through in this book. A dog family and a cat family show experiencing the loss of their pets through photos throughout the book. (Nothing traumatic: pictures showing time spent with the pet, a trip to the vet, feelings that follow the loss, and a small family funeral for the pet, standing around a dug-up area.) Mr. Rogers's simple, straightforward, yet comforting text shines through to help walk kids through the first significant loss they may encounter.
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Erik Blegvad
When a beloved cat, Barney, dies, the family decides to have a funeral. The boy tries to think of ten good things to say about Barney. Barney was brave, funny, clean, and more. The neighbor, Annie, comes over bringing flowers. They have a short but sweet ceremony together. I love this one for recognizing some of the feelings that come with the death of a loved one. The mother and father figures are calming and patient, listening and giving suggestions when needed for coping. I love the idea of brainstorming "ten good things" as a loving way to focus on the positives of a loved one's life.
Addy and her kitten, Trumpet, do everything together. Soon after they move, Trumpet is hit by a car. (No images of this, just a shadowy page and very brief wording for this part.) Addy is so sad and decides that her friend Stillwater, a panda, will know how to bring Trumpet back. Stillwater speaks softly to Addy and says they might be able to find the medicine needed. He hands her a measuring cup and says she must go around the neighborhood to find someone to give her a cup of sugar, but the person must be from a home where death is a stranger. Of course, as she goes from door to door, there is not one person to be found. Eventually, she realizes that the medicine was for her, the medicine being that she is not alone in her grief. The book concludes with questions and Addy working on getting through her loss of Trumpet with the help of Stillwater.
The Longest Letsgoboy
by Derick Wilder, illustrated by Catia Chien
This touching story is about a dog and his little, narrated by the dog using his doggy language before, during, and after passing. The dog wags his tail and watches over his little, forever friend as he watches her before and after he passes on.
