Books about grief and loss
Books can help children to understand sad feelings – from losing a cherished toy to the death of a family member.
We've suggested a few books to help them cope, prepare for future tough times, or just enjoy a good book together now.
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Mum's Jumper
Author: Jayde Perkin
Publisher: Book Island
Interest age: 4-8
Reading age: 5+Jayde Perkin's sensitive and thoughtful picture book about the way grief feels, and the death of a parent for a young child, is very well handled. It's a calm and touching portrayal of the ways we can remember the ones we've lost.
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Badger's Parting Gifts
Author: Susan Varley
Publisher: Andersen Press
Interest age: 4+
Reading age: 7+When Badger dies, his friends are very sad, but one by one, they recall the special things he gave them during his lifetime. Now 35 years old, Badger's Parting Gifts has been used by countless families experiencing bereavement to help talk about their feelings.
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Grandpa Was an Astronaut
Author: Jonathan Meres Illustrator: Hannah Coulson
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 4+
Reading age: 7+Sherman is fascinated by the moon - all the more so because he knows someone who has actually been there, his Grandpa!
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The Building Boy
Author: Ross Montgomery Illustrator: David Litchfield
Publisher: Faber & Faber
The boy loves his grandmother dearly. Best of all, he loves the stories about her life as a prize-winning architect. One day, she promises she'll build him an extraordinary house. Now his grandmother's gone, and he's heartbroken. But in her garden there are bricks and girder and he begins to build….
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Michael Rosen's Sad Book
Author: Michael Rosen Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 6+
Reading age: 6+The subject of bereavement is treated in an unusual way in Michael Rosen's Sad Book, which deals with the death of the author's own son.
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Seal Surfer
Author: Michael Foreman
Publisher: Andersen Press
Interest age: 5-8
Reading age: 6+A welcome re-publication of Foreman's timeless and evocative account of a boy's relationship with life and death.
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Lob
Author: Linda Newbery Illustrator: Pam Smy
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8+Lucy and her beloved grandfather enjoy gardening together, and Lucy becomes aware that she, like him, can sense-see a small figure who helps with the gardening.
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The Cat Mummy
Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Publisher: Yearling
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8+A deceptively simple tale which explores the issue of bereavement for younger readers.
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The Heart and the Bottle
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Publisher: HarperCollins
Interest age: 6+
Reading age: 7+An inquisitive little girl, who is enchanted by the world around her, is badly shaken when she loses someone she loves.
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Granpa
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Random House
Interest age: 3-8
Reading age: 4+A sensitive and moving exploration of the relationship between a young girl and her grandfather.
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Vicky Angel
Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Publisher: Random House
Interest age: 8-9
Reading age: 9+A moving novel about guilt and bereavement, written with humour and sensitivity.
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Milo and the Restart Button
Author: Alan Silberberg
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 7+Silberberg's novel is funny, sad, and empowering for young readers who have suffered bereavement. His comical illustrations and lists both lighten and extend the text.
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My Henry
Author: Judith Kerr
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Interest age: 4+
Reading age: 7+Unconventional subject matter for the very young is presented with gentle humour and a sense of great joy
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Rabbityness
Author: Jo Empson
Publisher: Child's Play
Interest age: 2-5
Reading age: 5+This beautifully illustrated, simple book will engage young readers, and address the sorrow of any bereavement they experience.
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Grandad's Island
Author: Benji Davies
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Interest age: 5+
Reading age: 7+A subtle story about love and loss enhanced by delightful illustrations.
