Teaching Kids About Grief
Often times when teaching children about difficult things, the best way we can educate and comfort them is by reading a book. Children feel grief in the same way adults do. However, their expression of it can look very different. Below we have put together a list of children’s books that will help teach them about losing a loved one and grief.
Cry, Heart, But Never Break
Aware their grandmother is gravely ill, four siblings make a pact to keep death from taking her away. But Death does arrive all the same, as it must. He comes gently, naturally. And he comes with enough time to share a story with the children that helps them to realize the value of loss to life and the importance of being able to say goodbye.
The Invisible String
Parents, educators, therapists, and social workers alike have declared The Invisible String the perfect tool for coping with all kinds of separation anxiety, loss, and grief. In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string. "That's impossible!" the children insist, but still they want to know more: "What kind of string?" The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: An Invisible String made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love.
Sister in My Heart
A children's grief book written to help explain loss to little ones in a heartfelt and open way. Sometimes, we are unsure where our loved ones go when they pass away. Other times we recognize that they live on in the energy and space that surrounds us. Talking about loss may be helpful and can lead to open conversations with children as they grow. After losing her oldest daughter in a tragic event, Michelle L. Jeffreys looked for ways to explain to her youngest daughter who her sister was and where she had gone. Michelle found her way in the book Sister In My Heart.
My Superhero Grandpa
My Superhero Grandpa is told through the eyes of the child, who celebrates that he is never alone or scared because his grandpa is always near. This sweet, sentimental story will help to start the conversation with children who are grieving. It will help little ones understand and cope with the loss. My Superhero Grandpa is cheerfully illustrated and uplifting, a story that will bring hope in place of sadness.
Why Do I Feel So Sad?
Why Do I Feel So Sad? is an inclusive, age-appropriate, illustrated kid's book designed to help young children understand their own grief. The examples and beautiful illustrations are rooted in real life, exploring the truth of loss and change, while remaining comforting and hopeful.