As a follow-up to the March 2014 presentation by Dr. Carol
Dickhaus about talking with children about grief and loss, here is a list of
the books that Dr. Dickhaus provided as possible resources.
Books to read with
your child:
Water Bugs and Dragonflies
by Doris Stickney
When Dinosaurs Die by
Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to
Children by Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen
What is Death? by Etan
Boritzer (this book offers descriptions of death through the lens of a variety
of cultures and religions)
Tear Soup by Pat
Schwiebert & Chuck DeKlyen
*Dr. Dickhaus graciously donated a
copy of each of these books to Redeemer's MOPS library. If you would like to borrow one or more of
these, please contact the current MOPS coordinator. (Our MOPS
library is a new gig, so we're still figuring out where the books will be
located and how the borrowing process will look.)
Books to read for yourself:
Talking with Children About Loss
by Maria Trozzi (covers various types of loss - death, divorce, disability, and
others)
When Children Grieve by
John James & Russell Friedman
Additional books:
I came across this list of books
in Honey For a Child's Heart by
Gladys Hunt. (Honey For a Child's Heart is a wonderful book with a variety of
book lists categorized by age and topic, offering a wealth of suggested reading
material for you and your child from infant through high school. I often take this book along to the library
to help me find new books and authors to share with my son.)
I selected the books indicated for
younger children, although Gladys lists several books for older elementary
children and young adults as well. The
descriptions accompanying each book are Gladys's.
Papa's Gift by Kathleen
Bostrom, il. Guy Porfirio.
A beautiful story of the
friendship of a grandfather and graddaughter and their adventures
together. When Papa dies, little Clara
refuses to be comforted, until she remembers what he had told her and sees with
new eyes. The wonderful illustrations
alone are comforting. All ages.
Blow Me a Kiss, Miss Lilly
by Nancy White Carlstrom, il Amy Schwartz
Sara's best friend is Miss Lilly,
who is very old. They blow kisses to
each other right to the end. Ages 4-10.
A lovely book. A poetic telling of Everett Anderson's
feelings as he copes with grief and accepts his father's death. The book takes you gently through the stages
of grieving. All ages.
The Goodbye Boat by Mary
Joslin, il. Claire St. Louis Little
Saying goodbye when someone you
love dies is perhaps the hardest thing of all.
This book provides a message of hope that sadness will ease and that
death is not the end. Ages 5-10.
Someday Heaven by Larry
Libby, il. Wayne McLoughlin
Thoughtful, comforting, Scripture-based
answers to common questions children ask about heaven and what happens at
death. All ages.
A Little Bit of Rob by
Barbara J. Turner, il. Marni Backer
Almost everything reminds the
family of their brother Rob. They miss
him from the moment they step into the boat on their crabbing expedition. A book about how memories help us in
grieving. Ages 5-10.
Badger's Parting Gifts by
Susan Varley
All the woodland creatures mourn
when old Badger dies. A beautiful book
about sharing memories in your loss. All
ages.
My Grandson Lew by
Charlotte Zolotow, il. William Pene Du Bois
You may need to get this quiet and
thoughtful book from the library. All
ages.
