A booklist about what it’s like when a loved one–human, animal, or otherwise–dies, and the different ways people experience, grieve, and heal from loss.
A more extensive, printable version of this list is available here.
Picture books about people
A Japanese family mourns the loss of a wife and mother by making origami cranes and using the Wind Telephone to communicate their feelings of loss and yearning.
Every window at the hospital faces dull, gray buildings―except the one in Grandpa’s room. Grandpa can see the ocean every day! When Daria visits, she and Grandpa look out at the beach, hoping they will build sandcastles and fly kites together again. This exploration of a child's experience of loss offers an unexpected ending, encouraging creativity and self-expression in the midst of grief.
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.
After the loss of her mother, a young girl and her dad find a new way to live with grief with the help of her mom's sweater.
In this moving, beautifully illustrated book, young girl learns about the practice of sitting shiva after her mother dies.
A colorful book that tells how a person might feel when they lose someone they love.
This nonfiction exploration of grief and mourning recognizes the anger and confusion that a child feels around death while offering possibilities for celebrating life and love.
Grandmother and Grace do all sorts of things together each day... and then Grandmother stops walking Grace to and from school. The door to her room stays closed, until one day, Grandmother's room is empty. Grace’s family helps Grandmother's spirit find its way home.
A child discovers that there is no single right thing to do when someone is sad or grieving.
After Grandpa dies, a girl and her mother take the trip he had planned for her, kayaking along the Pacific west coast to look for the whales that he loved. In this lyrical story, mom and daughter find the space to grieve Grandpa and reconnect with each other in the wild beauty of nature.
Picture books about pets & animals
Farmer Evan and his dog do everything together and, especially, in the garden but when his dog passes away Evan lets his garden fill with weeds until a pumpkin vine brings new hope.
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 forever friend, that doesn't mean it's the end.
When they find a dead bird, a group of children bury it in the woods, sing a song to it, and put flowers on the grave.
A young girl and her spunky dog, Lulu, are faithful companions from the very start. As Lulu ages and slows down, they are unable to do all the things they love to do together. When the time comes to say goodbye to Lulu, the caring little girl doesn't know how. She must come to terms with Lulu's death, and learn how to honor a loved one while moving on with her life.
An honest and simple exploration of death and grief for kids 4 to 8. With playful illustrations by a therapist-turned-artist, Bird is Dead uses humor to make death a more approachable topic.