I wish I could hold your hand

I Wish I Could Hold Your Hand (9+)

I Wish I Could Hold Your Hand

Author: Dr. Pat Palmer

Recommended age group: 9 years +

Description: Written by a psychologist this book deals with helping children identify their feelings, moving through all the stages of grief. It is written in a broad form and can be used for any type of grief (death, divorce, losing friends etc). It will help children learn to accept and deal with difficult feelings. Filled with expressive illustrations, it teaches them that they can help themselves feel better by seeking comfort in healthy ways.

The scar

The Scar (5+)

The Scar

Author: Charlotte Moundlic

Recommended age group: 5-9 years

Description: When the boy in this story wakes to find that his mother has died, he is overwhelmed with sadness, anger, and fear that he will forget her. He shuts all the windows to keep in his mother’s familiar smell and scratches open the cut on his knee to remember her comforting voice. Because he doesn’t feel he can talk to his dad anymore he finds comfort through his Grandma who teaches him another way to feel that his mum’s love is near. When the boy in this story wakes to find that his mother has died, he is overwhelmed with sadness, anger, and fear that he will forget her. He shuts all the windows to keep in his mother’s familiar smell and scratches open the cut on his knee to remember her comforting voice. Because he doesn’t feel he can talk to his dad anymore he finds comfort through his Grandma who teaches him another way to feel that his mum’s love is near.

Where Are You

Where Are You? (4+)

Where Are You? A Child’s Book About Loss

Author: Laura Olivieri

Recommended age group: 4-8 years

Description: Beautifully illustrated and using simple text it will help even the youngest people understand the story line and help them cope with the loss of a loved one. Highly recommended by many parents with children suffering a major loss as a much loved “read all the time” book.

The Saddest Time

The Saddest Time (6+)

The Saddest Time

Author: Norma Simon

Recommended age group: 6-9 years

Description: This book is three stories in one, dealing with death of different types (a terminal illness, classmate killed in an accident and a grandparent). This book is illustrated with realistic pencil drawings and speaks sensitively of the subject matter.

tear soup

Tear Soup (8+)

Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss

Author: Pat Schwiebert & Chuck DeKlyen

Recommended age group: 8-12 years

Description: This book is designed around a recipe for grief. They include ingredients such as” one heart willing to open, a bunch of good friends, buckets of water to replace the tears” and contains tips to help you through your grief. There is a website you can use to accompany this book (also available in video) that offer questions you can ponder for your own grief, how they can discuss the subject with their children and activities that you can undertake and it all ties back in beautifully with the book.

I miss you

I Miss You (4+)

I Miss You: A First Look at Death

Author: Pat Thomas

Recommended age group: 4-7 years

Description: Written by a psychotherapist, this book is one of a series designed to encourage children to understand the personal feelings and social problems as the first step to them dealing with them. “I Miss You” helps them understand that death is a natural complement to life, and that grief is a normal feeling following the death of a loved one. They promote positive interaction and have a simple storyline with beautiful colour illustrations on every page