Books on Death and Bereavement

Grief is a complicated subject, especially when it is a child experiencing it. Dealing with the loss of a loved one or grief of any kind can be life altering for children and adults. As humans, we are all designed to feel emotions and love which also means we all have the capacity to feel pain and grief. As adults we can deal with pain and manage our emotions but children are not equipped to do the same. 

In order to help children cope with difficult emotions and experiences, you can provide them with a ton of support, positive energy and ways to channel their grief into something productive. Books on grief and loss, we think, play a pivotal role in doing so. Stories of people that have dealt with grief and loss in positive ways can help a grieving person (irrespective of age) find hope.

We at Books2Door have curated a collection of some of the best selling books on grief and loss, to help people, especially children cope with loss and grief. Whether you're looking for some help for yourself or you need a way to explain death to a child, we have a lovely selection of books for you to look through.

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst This picture book about the unbreakable connections between loved ones has healed a generation of readers—children and adults alike, and has just been updated with new illustrations and an afterword from the author. A perfect tool for coping with all kinds of separation anxiety, loss, and grief; the book is perfect for anyone that is struggling to stay afloat. 

In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string. "What kind of string?" the children ask! 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. This heartwarming picture book for all ages explores questions about the intangible yet unbreakable connections between us, and opens up deeper conversations about love.

Let's Talk About When Someone Dies by Molly Potter, best-selling author of How Are You Feeling Today? and What's Worrying You?, comes a picture book for starting conversations with children about death, bereavement and what happens next. When someone dies, we can feel a whole host of different emotions and explaining them to a child isn't so easy. This book uses clear, easy-to-understand language to answer complex questions about death and how a child might feel when someone dies. It covers all manner of tricky subjects with sensitivity and honesty, from what death is to why people die. Each double page spread takes a child through how they might feel, what they might think and how they might behave. With engaging illustrations, gentle guidance and simple advice for parents and carers, Let's Talk About When Someone Dies fulfils an important but difficult need for starting conversations with children about death and bereavement, in an accessible and supportive way.

The Memory Tree by Britta Teckentrup is a beautiful and heartfelt picture book to help children celebrate the memories left behind when a loved one dies. Fox has lived a long and happy life in the forest, but now he is tired. He lies down in his favourite clearing, and falls asleep forever. Before long, Fox's friends begin to gather in the clearing. One by one, they tell stories of the special moments that they shared with Fox. And so, as they share their memories, a tree begins to grow, becoming bigger and stronger with each memory, sheltering and protecting all the animals in the forest, just as Fox did when he was alive. This gentle story about the loss of a loved one is a perfect grief book for adults and children, that teaches how sharing can bring comfort.