Death is an inevitable part of life and is a complicated concept for children to grasp. Often, children will experience the death of a pet in their early years. This could be anything from the fish funeral in the toilet bowl to losing a furry friend. Either way, every one of these books allows you to walk through the grieving process during a difficult time through beautiful illustrations.
1. Pets in Heaven by Melanie Salas
This is an excellent book with a simple storyline explaining to children about the beautiful place the fan excellent goes to after they pass away. This is a great book for families to sit down and read together when your family pet passes.
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2. When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers
There is no kinder individual to help children process the death of a pet than Mr. Rogers. This book about healing is the perfect book to explain to children that no matter how sad they feel, that time heals all wounds.
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3. My Pet Memory Book by S. Wallace
This is a great and engaging book that could easily be paired with any of these story books on the list. My Pet Memory Book allows children to add pictures of themselves and their beloved companions and write about their favorite experiences, characteristics, and events.
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4. How High is Heaven by Linsey Davis
This sweet story is a bright light in a dark time. The charming illustrations and the rhythmical rhymes allow young children to recognize life after death in a beautiful place called Heaven. With death being so final, this complex subject is addressed in a way that allows for closure of the death of people or pets.
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5. Lifetimes by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen
The title of, Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children explains just about everything that you need to know. This book is a bit different as it is not about the after but the times leading up to it. Connecting children of any age with the concept of death is always challenging. However, these gorgeous illustrations and explanations about death being a part of the life cycle are both sensitive and down to earth.
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6. The Invisible Leash by Patrice Karst
Author Patrice Karst has a heart for creating beautiful stories that help children during sad times. This story, along with her others called, The Invisible String and The Invisible Wish are fantastic books to add to your home or class library.
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7. Dear Brave Friend by Leigh Ann Gerk
Dear Brave Friend is an eloquent picture book written by an actual grief counselor. This book embraces putting paper to pen and writing down your favorite memories with that special pet, just like the little boy in the book.
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8. Remembering Blue Fish
Daniel Tiger is a beloved character in our home. This sweet story explains Daniel Tiger's grief after losing his blue fish pet. Struggling with feelings of grief, Daniel Tiger works through that death is part of life and chooses to remember the good things about his fish.
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9. The Sad Dragon by Steve Herman
Steve Herman is an awecomplexor and created an original story for a difficult subject. Here, this little dragon struggles with the complex concepts of death, loss, and grief. His friend helps him work through this throughout the story. Not only is this a great book for children when they experience death, but it is also one to teach them how to help others.
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10. Something Very Sad Happened by Bonnie Zucker
This particular story is meant for preschool ages children. Something Very Sad Happened simply breaks down the concept of death in a way appropriate to this age group.
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11. I'll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm
This familiar story will touch your heart as a young child explores all of those wonderful memories they had with their furry friend.
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12. The Golden Cord by Sarah-Jane Farrell
The Golden Cord is a wonderful story about how we are never alone and that just because your pet is gone, they are a constant companion in your heart.
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13. Over the Rainbow by Rebecca Yee
Most in their lives can relate to the loss of a beloved animal companion. Here is the story of a little girl and her fur friend and all of the wonderful things that Heaven did together. This sweet story explores the beautiful memories and coping with the loss of her best friend.
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14. I Will Miss You by Ben King
This particular story is one that is very practical in the sense that it can apply to people.
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15. I Miss You by Pat Thomas
Similar to the story above, but with a more directed point of focus on a family member or friend passing away, this story focuses on being a comforting book in a time of distress.
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16. Love you to the Stars and Back by Jaqueline Hailer
Love you to the Stars and Back is taken from the personal perspective of the author as she relives the feelings of watching her grandfather struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease. This personal account is something that children and adults alike can relate to.
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17. God Gave Us Heaven by Lisa Tawn Bergen
If heaven is a part of the death talk in your family, then you should absolutely get this book for your child. When our thirteen-year-old dachshund passed away, my (at the time) five-year-old had difficulty processing. Because we discuss heaven in our home, this sweet story was a wonderful way to explain death and the after.
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18. How I Feel Greif Journal
This particular grief journal is meant for children who have lost a family member or a beloved pet. There are three steps in this book that will help your child through this difficult time.
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19. The Memory Box by Joanna Rowland
This story explores the life of a young girl experiencing grief for the first time, much like many of our other stories. I love that she puts together a special memory box to help with coping with the concept of death.
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20. What Happens When a Loved One Dies by Dr. Jillian Roberts
I love that this book's title is the question most young children consider. This is usually the second question after the acceptance of death in general. "Ok, your pet died...now what?".
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21. I Miss My Pet by Pat Thomas
Just like the title says, this story explores the feelings of grief and how it is ok to miss something, especially a pet, that is now gone.
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22. Until We Meet Again by Melissa Lyons
This special book is significant as it is written from the perspective of a pet that has passed away. If your child is struggling with the loss of a person, this is a beautiful book to add to your library.
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23. Lost in the Clouds by Tom Tinn-Disbury
Among the book recommendations is this Lost in the Clouds. In this story, a little boy loses a beloved family member, his mother, and struggles to move on with everyday life. While this story focuses on the loss of a person, that does not mean that this book would be irrelevant to the loss of a pet.
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24. The Longest Letsgoboy by Derick Wilder
I love this story because the message is that love conquers life and death. That no matter what happens, the love and memories you shared together are within your own heart and mind.
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