Dealing with Death/Loss in Picture Books

Picture books for children to help them work through and put words to the loss of a loved one.
Updated September 19, 2022
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A stone for Sascha
Becker, Aaron
Paper Book
A girl grieves the loss of her dog in an achingly beautiful wordless epic from the Caldecott Honor-winning creator of Journey. This year's summer vacation will be very different for a young girl and her family without Sascha, the beloved family dog, along for the ride. But...
A last goodbye
Kelsey, Elin
Paper Book
How do we say goodbye to a loved one after they die? This book broaches a difficult topic in a heartfelt way by exploring the beauty in how animals mourn. From elephants to whales, parrots to bonobos, and lemurs to humans, we all have rituals to commemorate our loved ones and to lift each other up...
Where Lily isn't
Paschkis, Julie
Paper Book
Where Lily Isn't is Julie Paschkis and Margaret Chodos-Irvine's beautiful bereavement picture book celebrating the love of a lost pet. Lily ran and jumped and barked and whimpered and growled and wiggled and wagged and licked and snuggled. But not...
The boy and the gorilla
Azúa Kramer, Jackie
Paper Book
This profoundly moving tale about a grieving boy and an imaginary gorilla makes real the power of talking about loss. On the day of his mother's funeral, a young boy conjures the very visitor he needs to see: a gorilla. Wise and gentle, the gorilla stays on to answer the heart-heavy questions the...
Something very sad happened : a toddler's guide to understanding death
Zucker, Bonnie
Paper Book
Something Very Sad Happened is intended to be read to two- and three-year-old children to help them understand death and process the loss of a loved one. When a loved one dies, it can be hard to know how to explain it to a young child, particularly if you are...
Dance like a leaf
Irving, A. J.
Paper Book
"This beautifully balanced picturebook's rich colours dance alongside its intricately clear-eyed narrative, sensitive but never sentimental.... Certain to become a classic" - Inis magazine, Children's Books Ireland As her grandmother's health declines, a young girl begins to...
Ida, always
Levis, Caron
Paper Book
An exquisitely told story of two best friends-inspired by a real bear friendship-and a gentle, moving reminder that loved ones lost will stay in our hearts, always.
The pond
Davies, Nicola
Paper Book
The Pond is a touching picture book about a young boy, and his family, overcoming the loss of his father through a small pond in the garden. This colourful, emotional book is filled with natural imagery and will teach children not only about death, and loss, but the importance of the natural...
The funeral
James, Matt
Paper Book
A New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book New York Public Library Best Books for Kids Ezra Jack Keats Award Honor Winner Norma and her parents are going to her great-uncle Frank's funeral, and Norma is more excited than sad. She...
Harry and Hopper
Wild, Margaret
Paper Book
When the puppy came to live with Harry and Dad, he was as jumpy as a grasshopper. So that's what Harry called him. Hopper. Harry and Hopper do everything together. Hopper helps Harry with his homework and Harry helps Hopper escape from his weekly bath. At night, Hopper sneaks past Dad and goes to...
The day Tiger Rose said good-bye
Yolen, Jane.
Paper Book
Not since The 10th Good Thing About Barney or I'll Always Love You has there been such a peaceful and inspiring book to help children and adults cope with the loss of a pet. The talented multiple-medalist Jane Yolen takes on this difficult subject with her usual grace and poetic...
Is Daddy coming back in a minute? : explaining (sudden) death to very young children in words they can understand
Barber, Elke
Paper Book
When we were on a No Girls Allowed! holiday, my daddy's heart stopped beating and I had to find help all by myself. He was very badly broken. Not even the ambulance people could help him... This honest, sensitive and beautifully illustrated picture book is designed to help...
Death is stupid
Higginbotham, Anastasia.
Paper Book
'She's in a better place now,' adults say again and again when someone dies. But it doesn't seem better, it seems stupid. This forthright exploration of grief and mourning recognises the anger, confusion and fear that we feel about death - but refuses to succumb to banalaties when talking about it....
Grandma's gloves
Castellucci, Cecil
Paper Book
Grandma is always on her knees in the dirt, with her gardening gloves on, lovingly tending the plants and talking to her roses. When the weather is hot, she takes the hose and waters her 'most special flower of all' - the little girl narrating this touching story. But when Grandma dies, sadness...
The invisible string
Karst, Patrice
Paper Book
NEW EDITION AVAILABLE! Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is now the exclusive publisher of all editions of The Invisible String, featuring gorgeous artwork by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff. The publishing rights to the original DeVorss Publications hardcover edition, first released in 2000, were...
The goodbye book
Parr, Todd
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Todd Parr comes this poignant and reassuring story about loss.  With his colorful illustrations, playful humor, and inclusive storytelling, beloved author Todd Parr has long been a favorite among young readers and...
Missing mummy
Cobb, Rebecca.
Paper Book
Some time ago we said goodbye to Mummy. I am not sure where she has gone.Written and illustrated by a new talent in children's picture books, this extraordinary book deals with the loss of a parent from a child's point of view. Perfectly pitched text and evocative artwork explore the many emotions a...
The memory box : a book about grief
Rowland, Joanna
Paper Book
A multi-award-winning story about dealing with the loss of a loved one, The Memory Boxhas been an invaluable resource for thousands of families. From the perspective of a young child, author Joanna Rowland artfully describes what it's like to remember and grieve a loved one who has died....
My father's arms are a boat
Lunde, Stein Erik
Paper Book
It's quieter than it's ever been. Unable to sleep, a young boy climbs into his father's arms. Feeling the warmth and closeness of his father, he begins to ask questions about the birds, the foxes, and whether his mom will ever wake up. They go outside under the starry sky. Loss and love are as...
Where do people go when they die?
Portnoy, Mindy Avra.
Paper Book
In this touching narrative, young children ask, ""where do people go when they die?"" Each child asks an adult that they are trust - a father, a mother, a grandfather, an aunt, a teacher - and, although the answers they receive are all different, each reassuring answer leads back to the same simple...
Chester Raccoon and the acorn full of memories
Penn, Audrey
Paper Book
Chester Raccoon's good friend Skiddel Squirrel has had an accident and will not be returning - ever. Chester is upset that he won't get to play with his friend anymore. Mrs. Raccoon suggests that Chester and his friends create some memories of Skiddel, so that they will have good memories when they...
Saying goodbye to Daddy
Vigna, Judith.
Paper Book
Frightened, lonely, and angry after her father is killed in a car accident, Clare is helped through the grieving process by her mother and grandfather.
Sammy in the sky
Walsh, Barbara
Paper Book
A deeply affecting tale of love, loss, and remembrance -- told in clear-eyed prose by a top journalist and illustrated by a renowned American painter. Sammy, the best hound dog in the whole wide world, loves his girl and she loves him. When illness cuts Sammy's life short, the...
One wave at a time : a story about grief and healing
Thompson, Holly
Paper Book
After his father dies, Kai experiences all kinds of emotions: sadness, anger, fear, guilt. Sometimes they crash and mix together. Other times, there are no emotions at all--just flatness. As Kai and his family adjust to life without Dad, the waves still roll in. But with the help of friends...
The heart and the bottle
Jeffers, Oliver
Paper Book
Award-winning picture book star Oliver Jeffers explores themes of love and loss in this life-affirming and uplifting tale. Once there was a girl whose life was filled with wonder at the world around her... Then one day something happened that made the girl take her heart...
Wherever you are : my love will find you
Tillman, Nancy.
Paper Book
Bestselling author/artist Nancy Tillman celebrates the ways in which the love between parents and children is forever. . . . I wanted you more than you'll ever know, so I sent love to follow wherever you go. . . . Love is the greatest...
The day my dad turned invisible
Simmons, Sean R.
Paper Book
Seven-year-old Sean hopped off the bus after school one Friday afternoon to terrible news. After his first week of second grade his family had to tell him that his father passed away. The Day My Dad Turned Invisible follows Sean as he experiences death for the first time in his life as...
The scar
Moundlic, Charlotte.
Paper Book
With tenderness, touches of humour and unflinching emotional truth, Charlotte Moundlic captures the loneliness of grief through the eyes of a child, rendered with sympathy and charm in Olivier Tallec's expressive illustrations.

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