Books for a Grieving Child

How do I talk to my child about death? Are they too young? Will they understand?

After a child has experienced the death of a loved one, it can be overwhelming to broach the subject. By the age of 9, 43% of children in Ireland will have lost a significant person in their life*. With this figure in mind, how does a parent or guardian open the conversation around that loss? Conversations with children about grief and death need to be age appropriate. Embrace FARM have compiled a list of books for a grieving child that can help facilitate that conversation between you and them.

Under 5 years

I Miss You: A first look at death. Pat Thomas (2001)

Is Daddy coming back in a minute? Explaining sudden death in words very young children can understand. Elke & Alex Barber (2016)

Missing Mummy: A book about Bereavement. Rebecca Cobb (2011)

Why do things die? C. Pym and K. Daynes (2010)

5 – 8 Years

The Invisible String. Patricia Karst (2018)

A Birthday Present for Daniel: A child’s story of loss. Julia Cassuto Rothman (2001)

Always and Forever. Alan Durant (2013)

Muddles, Puddles and Sunshine. Diana Crossley (2001)

The Huge Bag of Worries. Virginia Ironside (2011)

What does Dead mean? Caroline Jay & Jenni Thomas (2012)

Peter and The Wolf. Gavin Friday (2023)

9 – 12 Years

What on Earth Do We Do When Someone Dies? Trevor Romain (2003)

Millys Bug Nut. Jill Janney (2002)

Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way To Explain Death To children. Bryan Mellonie (1998)

13 – 16 Years

Straight Talk About Death For Teenagers: How To Cope With Losing Someone You Love. Earl Grollman (1993)

Out Of The Blue: Activity Book for Grieving Teenagers. Julie Stokes (2006)

Go back to Children’s Resources

*CSO, 2022; Growing Up in Ireland – National Longitudinal Study of Children, 2013