Picture Books: GriefLike this list

49 items

• Memory Stones

  Kacer, Kathy, 1954-

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  "Sophie loves her granny more than she loves stars or books or her hamster. And when Granny passes away, Sophie misses her more than she can say. The flowers Sophie brings to Granny's grave always fade too soon. When Sophie learns that some people…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Pink Pajamas

  a Story About Love and Loss

  Chua, Charlene,

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• Drawn Onward

  Nayeri, Daniel,

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  A grieving young boy goes on an impossible adventure and returns, healed. Nayeri's text is minimal, even cryptic: just about 50 words, spooled out over the page turns in brief, elliptical spurts—and then reversed, conveying an entirely different…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Bird Is Dead

  Fisscher, Tiny,

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  A children's story that uses light humor and honesty to show curious readers what happens when someone dies, and invites readers to talk about death and grief on their own terms.

• Take Me to Lăolao

  Zhang, Kelly,

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  When her beloved lăolao can't attend the Spring Lantern Festival, Lili is taken on a Chinese mythology-inspired adventure as she drifts off to sleep, where she finally gets to see the one person she wants to see most"

• Fluffy and the Stars

  Redvers, T'áncháy,

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  "In this heartfelt picture book imagining what happens when a beloved pet dies, a nonbinary child copes with grief and the loss of their best friend"

• Chip

  Gastaldi, Federico,

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  A witty, comforting paean to a beloved lost fish. A young boy named Atticus wakes to find that his goldfish, Chip, is no longer in his bowl. Where has he gone? Atticus' mother points skyward and explains, "Chip lives up there…

• A Walk in the Woods

  Grimes, Nikki,

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  Together, Grimes and the Pinkneys have produced a profoundly stirring and thought-provoking musing on how the ones we love never really leave us. Joy and hope walk alongside sadness and grief in this unforgettable work.

• The Remembering Stone

  Sookocheff, Carey, 1972-

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  A recounting of the bereavement of a young child who has recently lost her grandpa.

• The Bear and the Wildcat

  Yumoto, Kazumi,

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  "When the little bird dies, his friend the bear is inconsolable. Full of grief, he locks himself in his house and ventures out again only when the smell of young spring grass blows through his window. He always carries a small box, which he opens…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Goodbye Mousie

  Harris, Robie H.

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  A little boy wakes up one morning and tickles his pet mouse's tummy, but Mousie doesn't move. So begins this story for the very youngest about the death of a pet. Ages 2-4

• Missing Nimâmâ

  Florence, Melanie,

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  A free-verse intergenerational story of separation, loss, and daughter-mother connection amid the ongoing crisis of missing First Nations girls and women.

• The Dreams We Made

  Bentley, Lisa, 1985-

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  "Every night, a little girl and her daddy build dreams out of paper, scissors, and glue. Every morning the little girl asks, “Take me with you?” And every time, Daddy tells her they'll keep building when he gets home from work. Until one night when…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Dead Bird

  Brown, Margaret Wise, 1910-1952

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  Originally published in 1938, Brown's The Dead Bird was a standout for its candid discussion of death and grief, and this updated version features warm, playful illustrations from award-winner Robinson.

• Cry Heart, but Never Break

  Ringtved, Glenn, 1968-

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  Death has arrived to claim their beloved grandmother, but four children hope to busy him until dawn, when he'll have to leave empty-handed. At last Death ushers the grandmother's spirit away, comforting the children with the titular commandment to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• What's the Matter, Marlo?

  Arnold, Andrew (Artist)

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  A picture book about best friends that highlights empathy, as well as anger and sadness, and reminds us that these aren't feelings to run away from, but instead to help each other through.

• Air Miles

  Burningham, John,

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  Miles the dog is growing older, but adventure still awaits when he takes to the skies.

• The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden

  Smith, Heather, 1968-

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  Makio's father and Mr. Hirota's daughter work at the harbor. One day, while Makio and Mr. Hirota watch, a tsunami strikes. Mr. Hirota builds a phone booth to talk to his dead daughter; Makio is disappointed that it's ‘connected to nowhere' until the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Henry and Bea

  Bagley, Jessixa,

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  Henry and Bea are best friends until, seemingly for no reason, Henry withdraws. ‘What did I do?' Bea asks. ‘Just leave me alone,' Henry answers. Finally, on a field trip Bea discovers the reason--Henry's beloved cat has died. A welcome addition to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Rabbit and the Motorbike

  Hoefler, Kate,

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  Rabbit lives, happy and content, in a wheat field, never venturing outside its bounds; but he enjoys old Dog's stories of life on the road with his motorbike--so when Dog dies and leaves Rabbit his bike, Rabbit starts to feel the powerful pull of…Read moreRead more of this annotation