11 Books on Death and Loss for Young Children

When a child is grieving, knowing how to talk through the feelings and emotions accompanying loss can be difficult. Many feelings arise during a healthy grieving process and it can feel overwhelming as a parent to know where and when to start a conversation about what you are experiencing emotionally.

There is no perfect way to help your child through grief, but there are some great places to start!

One great way to open this tricky conversation with kiddos is with the use of age-appropriate, topical books.

Below are some of my favorite books to support conversations about grief, and to begin the process of exploring feelings around grief and loss.

Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children

by Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen

Amazon Description: “Lifetimes is a moving book for children of all ages, even parents too. It lets us explain life and death in a sensitive, caring, beautiful way. Lifetimes tells us about beginnings. And about endings. And about living in between. With large, wonderful illustrations, it tells about plants. About animals. About people. It tells that dying is as much a part of living as being born. It helps us to remember. It helps us to understand.”

What Does Dead Mean?: A Book for Young Children to Help Explain Death and Dying

by Caroline Jay & Jenni Thomas; Illustrated by Unity-Joy Dale

Amazon Description: “Questions such as ‘Is being dead like sleeping?’, ‘Why do people have to die?’ and ‘Where do dead people go?’ are answered simply, truthfully and clearly to help adults explain to children what happens when someone dies. Prompts encourage children to explore the concepts by talking about, drawing or painting what they think or feel about the questions and answers.”

Something Very Sad Happened: A Toddler’s Guide to Understanding Death

by Bonnie Zucker; Illustrated by Kim Fleming

Amazon Description: “When a loved one dies, it can be hard to know how to explain it to a young child, particularly if you are grieving the loss yourself. Written at a developmental level that is appropriate for two- and three-year-olds, the story explains death; lets children know that it is okay to feel sad; and reassures children that they can still love the person who died, and the person who died will always love them.

Since the two- to three-year-old child cannot read, this story is intended to be personalized; certain words are color-coded in red to cue to you to substitute with the appropriate names and pronouns for the person who died.”

When Someone Dies: A Children’s Mindful How-To Guide on Grief and Loss

by Andrea Dorn

Amazon Description: “Written and illustrated by a therapist (and mother), Andrea Dorn, MSW, When Someone Dies walks children through the bereavement process in a simple, concrete, and developmentally appropriate way. Through the lens of mindfulness, children will learn how to say goodbye, make space for any emotions that arise, and work through their grief.”

The Memory Box: A Book About Grief

by Joanna Rowland; Illustrated by Thea Baker

Amazon Description: “Recommended and adopted by parenting blogs, bereavement support groups, hospice centers, social service agencies, military library services, church groups, and educators, The Memory Box offers a very simple approach to overcoming loss, separation, and disappointment while also giving support and encouragement that children easily understand.”

The Invisible String

by Patrice Karst; Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

Amazon Description: “Recommended and adopted by parenting blogs, bereavement support groups, hospice centers, foster care and social service agencies, military library services, church groups, and educators, The Invisible String offers a very simple approach to overcoming loneliness, separation, or loss with an imaginative twist that children easily understand and embrace, and delivers a particularly compelling message in today’s uncertain times.”

The Invisible Web

by Patrice Karst; Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

Amazon Description: “This uplifting inspirational title for all ages puts the concept of “six degrees of separation” into a new context that urges listeners to recognize, respect, and celebrate their infinite, unbreakable bonds with the entire human family.”

I Miss You: A First Look at Death

by Pat Thomas; Illustrated by Lesley Harker

Amazon Description: “When a close friend or family member dies, it can be sad for kids and difficult for them to express the big feelings they are experiencing. This book will help explain in a gentle way that death is a natural complement to life and that grief and a sense of loss are normal feelings to have following the death of a loved one.”

The Goodbye Book

by Todd Parr

Amazon Description: “Through the lens of a pet fish who has lost his companion, Todd Parr tells a moving and wholly accessible story about saying goodbye. Touching upon the host of emotions children experience, Todd reminds readers that it’s okay not to know all the answers, and that someone will always be there to support them. An invaluable resource for life’s toughest moments.”

When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death

by Laurie Krasny Brown; Illustrated by Marc Brown 

Amazon Description: “Straightforward and comprehensive, this indispensable book is a comforting aid to help young kids and families through a difficult time in their lives. No one can really understand death, but to children, the passing away of a loved one can be especially perplexing and troublesome. This is true whether the loss is a family member, friend, or pet.

Here to offer advice and reassurance are the wise dinosaurs from the bestselling Dino Tale series. This succinct and thorough guide helps dispel the mystery and negative connotations associated with death, providing answers to kids’ most-often asked questions.”

When A Pet Dies

by Fred Rogers

Amazon Description: “In this useful book from the First Experience series, the affable star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood helps children share feelings of the loss of a pet while offering reassurance that grieving is a natural, healing thing to do.”