Kid’s Grief Books

"The Invisible String" by Patrice Karst for kids ages 3+ is an amazing book for kids (and for adults) to understand that there is a connection to someone even if you cannot see them. Definitely worth checking out at your local library or viewing a video online of it. If you ask anyone who has read it, they probably will tell you they love it (even the adults). 

“The Goodbye Book” by Todd Parr is good for kids ages 3-7. Very colorful and simple book  about a goldfish losing his fish friend. It is not lengthy, but shows kids emotions that might happen after a loss, and support that can be there. It is a gentle book about grief and loss for young kids. Definitely worth checking out. 

“Things That Go Away”  by Beatrice Alemagna is a very colorful book, with a transparent page to show change. It is a new book published in 2020. It is not a direct grief book, but is fantastic to read to kids that everything eventually changes, moves on or transforms, but love never fades. It is super fun to read and look at the illustrations. 

“Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss” by Pat Schwiebert. It is great for kids 8+ and talks through how messy grief can be and some great analogies to explain things. It explains how grieving is ok and everyone grieves differently. A mother said it helped her son who is high functioning on the spectrum to understand grief a little better. The book has been around for awhile and has a high review rating on Amazon. 

“Ida, Always” by Caron Levis for kids ages 4+  is a super cute book about death through the eyes of animals. It has been out for a while, but a classic for kids. It tugs at my heartstrings everytime I read it to kids, but the illustrations are fantastic and is one you might want for your bookshelf. 

“Always Remember” by Cece Meng for kids 4+ is a really colorful and well designed book for kids. I also call this the turtle book because it has a turtle on the cover. It has a good message, and a wonderful book depicting what the absence of a life is life for others. It has great detail and a great message. 

“Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories” by Audrey Penn for kids 6+ We love this picture book, and one we tend to read a lot. It has a good message about the loss of a friend. They celebrate the life of his friend, it is a sweet story that provides comfort during loss.

“Someone Very Special” by Kate Bender is a double recommendation! The book is for kids 2+ The author is local in Wisconsin and did an excellent job with this book. It explains death and continuing bonds to a child who may not have memories of the loved one who died. This book is different from most grief books as it is tailored to kids who don’t have those memories, and talks about ways to create a keepsake, and continue to talk about the person even after they are gone. 

“Rabbityness” by Jo Empson is a super colorful and fun book to flip through. It is about the gifts the rabbit leaves behind after her is gone. It is a really vibrant book to read. 

“Memory Box: A Book About Grief” by Joanna Rowland is a book for kids ages 4-9 is a book about creating a box to keep memories of a loved one in. It talks through emotions around death and how to process them through a kids eyes. There is a guide in the back to help kids and families make their own box. 

“The Boy and the Gorilla” by Jackie Kramer is a fantastic new book. It addresses common questions kids might ask about the death of someone, and the gorilla answers in direct answers. Definitely recommend this book for kids. 

“The Gift Of Nothing” by Patrick McDonnell is a hilarious but amazing story told by an animal, about what is really important to others. It is a super cute book, and we will have a video of the book being read on our Facebook page in December 2020.

“Goob and His Grandpa” by Sean Covey is a book about a bear whose grandpa dies, and the bears at school are concerned about him. They take turns spending time with him. Cute book about being a grief friend.

“The Heart And The Bottle” is a neat book about a little girl safe guarding her heart after she finds an empty chair.

“Friendship Quilt” is a book about a mouse whose grandma died and the other mice try to do something nice. It’s a cute book about rallying together to comfort a friend.

“Dealing With... When People Die” is a unique book explaining death, funerals and common questions kids have. It’s not written as a story but more like a problem solving Q and A type book.

“Stewart’s Tree- A book for brothers and sisters when a baby dies shortly after birth” is a great book that explains what is going on to kids after a sibling dies. This book is geared towards younger kids who might not understand what is going on.

“My Big Dumb Invisible Dragon” is a neat book about a kid who’s mom died and an invisible dragon followed him around. He comes to realize a few things as the year goes on.