Browse our titles to help younger children deal with loss and bereavement with these beautifully illustrated picture books.
See our other books on bereavement for all ages.
Is It Asleep?
Olivier Tallec and Antony Shugaar
Squirrel and his best friend Pock the mushroom sit on the old stump, watching birds fly by. When they’re tired of this, they take the path to the yellow meadow to listen to the blackbird sing.
But today, the bird’s not there. The friends look everywhere. Finally they find it on the path, all stretched out and quite still. It must be sleeping. They sit down quietly and wait for the bird to wake.
This true-to-child story of a natural encounter with an animal that has died is both dryly humorous and a profound example of how to manage the comings and goings of life.
The Fun We Had
Charissa Coulthard and Sam Usher
Visiting her nana throughout the seasons, a girl remembers all the great adventures they have shared.
And when her nana is no longer there, she is able to celebrate the memories they have made together.
Where Did She Go?
Cariad Lloyd and Tom Percival
When a little girl hears people saying how sorry they are that she’s lost her very special grandma, she only has one question – where did she go?
Grandma’s not under the sofa, behind the flower patch, or even at their favourite spot in the park, so where is she?
Perhaps Mum can help her daughter to understand what has happened and find comfort in the memories left behind.
A Kids Book About Death
Taryn Schuelke
Diving immediately into the weighty topic that most adults prefer to avoid thinking or talking about: death, this book explains the practical aspects of the subject and gracefully navigates the nuances of emotion and community that surround something we all experience.
A Kids Book About Grief
Brennan C. Wood
Grief is a small word for a big experience. This book was made to help kids understand what grief is and how to live through it.
The important thing to know is that grief is natural, normal, and healthy, and it’s an experience we all have because we’re human. So, this book can help start this conversation with kids the right way.
Tiger’s Last Roar
Harriet Howe and Katie Cottle
Tiger and Mae do everything together, they are the very best of friends. But there is nothing they love more than exploring, racing and chasing across their jungle. That is, until the call comes for ‘teatime!’ and they race back to the house.
As time moves on, Mae realises that Tiger is getting old and tired. And when Tiger then dies, Mae feels lost in a whirlwind of anger, fear and sadness. Even the safety of their jungle is stripped away.
Only through time and healing does Mae learn that Tiger lives on – through her memories, pictures and their jungle itself.
The Hole
Lindsay Bonilla and Brizida Magro
A little boy has a big hole in his life after his brother’s death. It’s in the bottom bunk where Matty used to sleep, and on Matty’s chair at dinner. It follows him everywhere – and he hates it.
But with the help of a friend, he manages to climb into the hole and confront his grief – the sadness, the anger, and the simple truth of how much he misses his brother.
And when he finally feels ready to share stories about Matty again, he realises he can find some comfort in filling the hole with his favourite memories.
Goodbye Hobbs
Emma Bettridge and Josephine Birch
Merlin won’t go out. Not without his best friend Hobbs. Join Merlin as he goes on an adventure to learn how to say ‘Goodbye Hobbs’.
A story of what it means to love and lose a friend, and to find reasons to go for a walk again.
Quem vai me amar quando você se for?
Anna Amiga
With his mum very poorly, Jack is worried about what will happen when she’s gone. Will Mummy take her love as well?
Anna Friend was inspired to write this book in memory of her friend Ellen Wollaston-Cooper, who lost her life to breast cancer, but prepared her young family for the journey they were on with love and strength.
A Árvore da Memória
Britta Teckentrup
Fox has lived a long and happy life in the forest. One day, he lies down in his favourite clearing, takes a deep breath 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, as they share their memories, a tree blooms, big and strong, eventually watching over all the friends, just as Fox did when he was alive.
This gentle and comforting tale celebrates life and the memories that are left behind when a loved one dies.
Presentes de despedida do texugo
Susan Varley
Badger was dependable, and always ready to lend a helping paw. He was very old and wise, and knew that he would die soon.
Susan Varley wrote this book to help children overcome the death of loved ones, and it has since become a children’s classic.
Um abrigo para a tristeza
Anne Booth
A tristeza veio morar comigo e estou construindo um abrigo para ela. Estou construindo um abrigo para a minha tristeza e acolhendo-a em meu interior. Um garotinho cria um abrigo para a sua tristeza, um espaço seguro onde a tristeza é bem-vinda, onde ela pode se aconchegar, pequena ou grande o suficiente, onde pode ser barulhenta ou silenciosa, ou qualquer coisa entre os dois.
The boy can visit the shelter whenever he needs to, every day, sometimes every hour, and the two of them will cry and talk or just sit, saying nothing. And the boy knows that one day Sadness may come out of the shelter, and together they will look out at the world, and see how beautiful it is.
Quando eu me for
Marguerite McLaren e Hayley Wells
When someone you love has died there will be sad days and angry days but also happy days and fun days. Nobody lives forever – and some wish they could have stayed for longer.
This sensitively-written and deeply-moving picture book will help children grieve, celebrate and learn how to live and love life when a parent is gone.
O Buraco em Forma de Lebre
John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty
Um livro ilustrado comovente e tocante que explora a morte e a tristeza, enquanto Bertle, a tartaruga, aprende a lidar com a perda de seu melhor amigo Hertle, a lebre.
The Bear-Shaped Hole
John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty
Gerda and Orlo are best bear friends. When Gerda was there, Orlo always had time for a game or a story, a joke or a rhyme. He was never too busy to listen, to talk, to help, to share, or to go for a walk. But slowly, something starts to change.
Orlo reveals he is ill, and as he softly explains to Gerda, he is not going to get better. Gerda is overwhelmed by emotions she cannot quite explain, but Orlo gently helps her prepare, so they can spend their time together making memories that will last a lifetime.
When the time comes, Gerda can fill the bear-shaped hole in her life with the special moments she shared with Orlo.
O oceano encontra o céu
Eric Fan e Terry Fan
Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it’s a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float.
Finn’s grandfather is gone now but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He’ll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself! And when he arrives, maybe, just maybe, he’ll find something he didn’t know he was looking for.
Arco-íris do papai
Lucy Rowland
Erin’s daddy sees the colour in everything. Even on the greyest days, they put on their wellies and go splashing in puddles.
But what happens when the greyest day of all comes, and Daddy isn’t there any more? Can Erin learn to find colour in the world again?
Sempre e para sempre
Debi Gliori
When Fox dies, the rest of his family are distraught. How will Mole, Otter and Hare go on without their beloved friend?
But months later, Squirrel reminds them all of how funny Fox used to be, and they all realize that Fox is still there in their hearts and memories.
Para o mar
Helen Kellock
‘Out To Sea’ follows the journey of a young girl named Lara who is so sad after the death of her grandmother that she is carried out to sea on a flood of her own tears.
When it seems like sadness has overwhelmed her entirely, she discovers a pearl at the bottom of the ocean that triggers memories of the many happy times Lara shared with her grandmother.
With the pearl safely at her side, Lara realises that she is not alone and finds the strength to pick up her oars and row herself back home.
Múmia desaparecida
Rebecca Cobb
This title deals with the loss of a parent from a child’s point of view. Perfectly pitched text and evocative artwork explore the many emotions a bereaved child may experience, from anger to guilt and from sadness to bewilderment.
And importantly, the book also focuses on the positive, the recognition that the child is still part of a family.
Pato, Morte e a Tulipa
Lobo Erlbruch
In a curiously heart-warming and elegantly illustrated story, a duck strikes up an unlikely friendship with Death.
Duck and Death play together and discuss big questions. Death, dressed in a dressing gown and slippers, is sympathetic and kind and will be duck’s companion until the end.
Tempestade em uma Jarra
Samuel Langley-Swain
When Arlo finds out Nana has passed away, he keeps her sweetie jar with him to feel safe and closer to his Nana. As his sadness turns to anger, a storm builds inside the jar, until Arlo has enough and smashes it open!
After the storm washes him out to sea, Arlo spots Nana sailing off into the moonlight. He knows she will be happy and safe, wherever she is headed.
O Menino e o Gorila
Jackie Azua Kramer
On the day of his mother’s funeral, a young boy conjures the very visitor he needs to see – a gorilla. Wise and gentle, the gorilla stays on to answer the heart-heavy questions the boy hesitates to ask his father: Where did his mother go? Will she come back home? Will we all die?
With the gorilla’s friendship, the boy slowly begins to discover moments of comfort in tending flowers, playing catch and climbing trees. Most of all, the gorilla knows that it helps to simply talk about the loss – especially with those who share your grief and who may feel alone too.
Suéter da mamãe
Jayde Perkin
If Mum has gone, how do you carry on? Missing her feels like a dark cloud that follows you around, or like swimming to a shore that never comes any nearer.
But memories are like a jumper that you can cuddle and wear. And Mum’s jumper might be a way to keep her close.
A simple, heartfelt and ultimately uplifting book for anyone coping with loss.
Se todo o mundo fosse
Joseph Coelho e Allison Colpoys
A moving, lyrical picture book about a young girl’s love for her granddad and how she copes when he dies, written by poet and playwright Joseph Coelho.
This powerful and ultimately uplifting text is the ideal way to introduce children to the concept of death and dying, particularly children who have lost a grandparent.
Aquele dia
Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet
One afternoon, a young boy finds his house full of people, all dressed in black for a reception, but one important person isn’t there: his grandmother. The boy’s grandfather feels her absence too, and sits alone, lost in thought.
The boy decides to get outside and go for a walk in the snowy countryside, and what could be a sad story turns into the opposite: all the beauty he sees in nature reminds him of the precious moments he shared with his grandmother.
‘That Day’ is a beautiful, moving picture book about bereavement where a boy chooses to cherish all the good memories of his beloved grandmother.
Ilha do Vovô
Benji Davies
Uma história lindamente realizada e delicadamente conduzida sobre um garotinho tentando lidar com a perda de seu querido avô.
Perdido nas Nuvens
Tom Tinn-Disbury
Billy misses his mummy very much. She lives in the clouds. Some days the sun is shining and Mummy’s clouds are nowhere to be seen. Those are Billy’s favourite days. He and Daddy would play in the garden all day long, and Billy knows that Mummy is letting the sun shine for them.
But not all days are like that. Sometimes Mummy’s clouds are dark, and Billy feels sad and alone.
Se você sentir minha falta
Jocelyn Li Langrand
Charlie loves to dance her way through life with her grandma. They may not always be together, but each time they part Grandma says, If you miss me, look at the moon.
Then winter brings unexpected change, and not even dancing feels the same. What will Charlie do? Will Grandma come to see her dance again?
O Riso
Fay Evans e Ayse Klinge
Once there was a lady with the loveliest laugh in the world. She and her daughter share big loud belly laughs, quiet giggles, and sometimes secret laughs between just the two of them.
Until one day, the lady dies, and her laugh goes away with her. At first it seems impossible to go on without the lady – but when the little girl finds her laugh again, she knows that, no matter what, the memories and love that they shared will always be there.
Fox: uma história do círculo da vida
Isabel Thomas
In the frost-covered forest of early spring, fox is on a mission to find food for her three cubs. As they grow, she teaches them how to survive in the wild.
Until one day, fox dies. But what happens then? Can new life grow from old?
A Janela
Laura Gehl
All the other windows in the hospital look out on dull, grey buildings, but Daria and her grandpa can see the beach from the window in his room. Whenever Daria visits, she and her grandpa sit and watch crashing waves, flying kites, and happy families.
Daria hopes for the day she and Grandpa will be able to visit the beach and build sandcastles together.
Pincel de Dadaji
Rashmi Sirdeshpande e Ruchi Mhasane
Discover that bereavement can be a beginning, not an ending, in this beautiful story of one boy’s grief when he loses his beloved grandfather. Dadaji loves to teach others to paint, especially his grandson.
But after Dadaji passes away, the boy can’t bear to use the favourite paintbrush his grandfather left for him. When a little girl knocks on the door, the boy discovers how many lives Dadaji touched with his art, and finds a way to continue his legacy.
Os Círculos no Céu
Karl James Mountford
One day, Fox is drawn to something in the forest – it’s something small, something silent, perhaps forgotten. It’s a bird, as still as can be. Fox is confused, upset and angry – is the bird broken?
But then a little moth comes along. Kind and wise and comforting, Moth shares a gentle philosophy: the story of the circles in the sky.
O Coelho Escutou
Cori Doerrfield
‘The Rabbit Listened’ is a tender meditation on loss.
When something terrible happens, Taylor doesn’t know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn’t feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that’s not quite right either.
One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to process this loss, and one by one they fail. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen, which is just what Taylor needs.
Adeus Mog
Judith Kerr
Mog was tired – dead tired. She thought, ‘I want to sleep for ever’. And so she did.
But a little bit of her stayed awake to see what would happen next. So Mog keeps watch over the upset Thomas family, who miss her terribly, and she wonders how they will ever manage without her.
Quando meu tatuzinho vai acordar?
Sarah Tagholm
When his pet woodlouse won’t wake up one day, Ross learns from his big sister all about definite, incredible deadness. But if Lord Jeffry isn’t here anymore, where exactly is he?
The siblings go to the library to see if they can find out, and although Ross misses his pet, he is comforted thinking of the adventures he might be having now.
Eating pears in heaven, reincarnated into another animal, or perhaps all of his goodness has gone back into the earth to grow something beautiful.
Esperando pelo Lobo
Sandra Dieckmann
Fox and Wolf spend all their perfect days together – talking and laughing for hours, swimming together in the big blue lake, and watching the stars come out, one by one.
Until one day, Wolf is gone. This is a moving tale of friendship and loss and learning to carry on.
A Rocha da Dor
Natasha Daniels e Lily Fossett
Sometimes grief can feel like a heavy weight you are carrying around. It can be difficult to explain how you feel or know how you will cope carrying the grief rock around.
This gentle story explores how grief is filled with all the love we have for someone who was important in our lives.
Perfect to open up the conversation on difficult feelings, the book also includes a short guide for adults with tips on supporting children after a bereavement.
O livro triste de Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen
Very occasionally the term non-fiction has to stretch itself to accommodate a book that fits into no category at all.
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book is such a book. It chronicles Michael’s grief at the death of his son Eddie from meningitis at the age of 19.
A moving combination of sincerity and simplicity, it acknowledges that sadness is not always avoidable or reasonable and perfects the art of making complicated feelings plain
Portuguese 
English 
Polish 
Lithuanian 
Romanian 
Bengali