Here to Help: Books about Death & Grieving

By sharing stories together and having conversations about the books you read, you can help young children understand the world around them. Seeing diverse experiences represented in books helps children to explore their own identities and develop empathy for others.

Losing a loved one is especially confusing and difficult for young children. These books may help a young child faced with the death & grieving process.

Not every book is available at all locations, but any title can be requested. The children’s librarian at your neighborhood library is also here to help, with suggestions for additional titles on topics of interest–or feel free to suggest some titles to us. New books are always being added to the collection. You can find more Here to Help booklists on different topics by clicking here.


Cape

After losing the person in his life he loves more than anything, a young child holds onto a cape as a source of comfort and strength as he navigates the sadness and joy of his memories.


French Toast Sundays

After the loss of her beloved grandmother, Mina finds solace in stories told by family and friends, but her grief is turned into joy when she surprises everyone with Grandma’s famous French toast.


The Funeral

Norma and her parents are going to her great-uncle Frank’s funeral, and Norma is more excited than sad. She is looking forward to playing with her favorite cousin, Ray, but when she arrives at the church, she is confronted with rituals and ideas that have never occurred to her before. While not all questions can be answered, when the day is over Norma is certain of one thing: Uncle Frank would have enjoyed his funeral. This sensitive and life-affirming story will lead young readers to ask their own questions about life, death and how we remember those who have gone before us.


Henry and Bea

When Bea’s best friend, Henry, seems sad and stops talking to her, she gently tries to find out what is wrong.




The Longest Letsgoboy

As a dog and his little girl go on their final walk together, he gets to experience the sights, smells, and wonders of this world one last time before peacefully passing on. But for such a good boy and his foreverfriend, that doesn’t mean it’s the end. You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla.


Missing Mommy

Daddy comforts and reassures a very young boy after Mommy dies.


The Purple Balloon

Easy-to-read text reveals that dying is hard work, for the old and especially the young, and how good it is that so many people help when a person dies, from medical staff to clergy and friends to family members.


The Scar

When his mother dies, a little boy is angry at his loss but does everything he can to hold onto the memory of her scent, her voice, and the special things she did for him, even as he tries to help his father and grandmother cope.


Sweet, Sweet Memory

A child and her grandmother feel sad when Grandpa dies, but as time passes, funny memories of him make them laugh and feel better.


What Happens When A Loved One Dies? Our First Talk About Death

Whether children are experiencing grief and loss for the first time or simply curious, it can be difficult to know how to talk to them about death. Using questions posed in a child’s voice and answers that start simply and become more in-depth, this book allows adults to guide the conversation to a natural and reassuring conclusion. Additional questions at the back of the book allow for further discussion.