Losing someone you love is NEVER easy. Your entire life changes!
It’s difficult for us as adults to cope with the physical, mental and emotional changes during and after we experience the loss of someone we love and it can be even more difficult for young children to understand and cope with these changes.
Below is a list of the Five best picture books that may assist in the healing process and can also encourage, motivate and inspire toddlers and young adults to understand the process and achieve some sort of solace during times of sorrow. These picture books and many others show young children that even though saying goodbye is hard and can make you sad, it’s also reassuring to know that Everything will be okay.
The Legend of the Storm Goose
THE LEGEND OF THE STORM GOOSE by Fiona Halliday is such a moving story of strength, love, and family.
Erin loved hearing her pap’s stories about the storm goose. The storm goose protects her papa while he’s at sea. Its big wings shelter him from storms, but it never comes ashore.
One day the storm goose came ashore hurt and though Erin worry her dad won’t be protected at sea without the goose, she nursed it back to health.
As the seasons changed, the bird stayed with her, comforting her and providing shelter because her papa might not return.
After a while, Erin realized the goose’s true reason for coming ashore, so the storm goose took his farewell to the sky.
With mind-blowing and vibrant illustrations that capture the essence of the message, this is an excellent book for children dealing with grief.
It’s never an easy process when dealing with loss, and it’s harder for children. Books like these are absolutely useful and can reassure them that all will ultimately be well.
THE GOODBYE BOOK
I wanted to start with Todd Parr’s THE GOODBYE BOOK because it is among the books that I find is most relatable to toddlers 2 to 3 years old. It is very difficult for children within that age to grasp the fact that someone is no longer going to be around. Actually they are just beginning to overcome separation anxiety so the process is often harder.
It features a cute little fish who has lost his fish buddy. He doesn’t know where it went and though there is no mention of death, he no longer has his companion. He is now alone in his bowl and is very sad. Poor fishy undergoes a host of emotions like not sleeping, eating or playing but then as time passes he remembers all the fun times he had with his friend.
Though it features the fish, Parr also shows that the little child is sad because she too has lost her fish. He shows ways of coping with loss by talking about it to someone or even drawing a picture. It teaches to be brave and assures that you will never be alone. Those memories make the fish happy and it also makes the child happy. There will always be someone there to love them and hold them close. The illustrations are bright and very inviting and guaranteed to connect with children.
MISSING MOMMY
MISSING MOMMY by Rebecca Cobb is another great picture book for children dealing with grief. In the book a little boy has lost his mom. He’s shown in her room looking through her things to see if he can find her. He then becomes scared, angry and worried because he thinks she’s not coming back because he’s been naughty at times.
The beautiful thing about this book is the strength of the father who is also sad but is being strong for his children. He assures the boy that it isn’t his fault and that it’ll be ok. It’s okay to miss mommy because he misses her too. He remembers how special he is to his mommy and she will always be special to him.
I love the child-like illustrations, it’s totally relatable and simple for children to read. It’s almost like it’s a letter from a child…so beautiful. Children need to know that they are never alone when dealing with grief.
THE HEART AND THE BOTTLE
Oliver Jeffers, THE HEART AND THE BOTTLE is just beautiful. It portrays a bright and curious little girl who is absolutely having fun with her father or grandfather. They sit and read in a big red chair and her imagination goes wild.
One day she found the chair empty and her whole life changed.
Even though the book doesn’t say that she’s lost her father, the empty chair suggests just that. Completely heartbroken, she decides to take her heart and put it in a bottle which she keeps around her neck.
As she grew older, she became less curious and stopped engaging in the things she loved doing. The stars didn’t seem so bright and the sea wasn’t as beautiful. She had to remove her heart from the bottle in order to feel again but she didn’t know how. That is until she met a little girl very much like she was when she was a child, possibly her daughter but the book doesn’t say.
Children can do that, they can help mend your broken heart and they can open your heart to new possibilities. I love the illustrations and the unique and inspiring message in this book. We experience so many emotions during time of grief but it is important to find joy in the beauty around us. This book is perfect for both children and adults.
THE SCAR
THE SCAR by Charlotte Moundlic is as realistic as it gets when it comes to childhood grief. It’s a complete account of what can happen before, during and after a tragedy.
A young boy knows that his mommy is sick and will die, however her death is still a shock to him. He’s bombarded with emotions that he has to learn to control. He becomes mad at his mom for leaving him and mad at his dad for not knowing how to make his meals. His father, on the other, is also having a difficult time coping and the boy thinks it’s his responsibility to take care of his did so he tries stepping up and being strong.
He wants to hold on to every memory of his mom because he misses her smell and her voice so he tries to shut her in by closing all the windows in the house. His dad wants the windows opened because it’s hot and this causes their emotions to collide, making an already stressful situation even more stressful and therefore making it even more difficult to control their emotions.
Her voice is fading from his memory but soon returns when he falls and scrapes his knee. He doesn’t want the scrape to heal so he makes another scrape before it does. The boy thinks it’s the only way he can hear her but as the days go by, his grandmother arrives and provides some sort of comfort to them both. She assures him that his mother is always in his heart and it will get better. As his scar heals, he begins to heal as well and it becomes clearer and easier to control his emotions, knowing that his mom is always close in his heart. Olivier Tallec’s red hues illustrated in this book is absolutely fitting for the title and its intensity also provides a sense of strength and love.
CITY DOG COUNTRY FROG
CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG by Mo Willems is another favorite and is a total tear-jerker. It’s spring time and a City Dog moves to the country. He doesn’t need a leash so he couldn’t wait to run free. He met a Country Frog at a pond who was sitting on a rock waiting for a friend. The pair became friends and started playing froggie and doggie games.
Summer and Fall arrived and City dog couldn’t wait to play with his new friend but as they played, Country Frog grew tired and just wanted to sit and reminisce on all the fun they were having. Winter came and City Dog ran through the snow to play with his friend but all he saw was an empty rock. Country Frog was gone.
City Dog never stopped waiting at the pond for his friend. Spring came again and he met a Country Chipmunk and they started a brand new friendship. Losing a best friend can also be hard for children but it’s important to assure them that life goes on and though you may never forget the memory of your friend, it’s great making new friends and sharing new experiences.
