Are you looking for resources that will help support young children cope with the death of a loved one? Recently, an early childhood educator reached out to the NAEYC community for resources and ideas to support two young children who each had experienced the death of a family member. In response, many early educators chimed in and recommended a few children's books that could support the children, as well as resources for their families and caregivers. We have compiled a selection of those books and resources below.

Resources for Children 

Ages 0-3

• I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas, illus. Leslie Harker
• The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown
• The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr

Ages 3-5

• Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley
• Grief is a Mess by Jackie Schuld
• I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas, illus. Leslie Harker
• The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown
• The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr
• Tough Boris by Mem Fox, illus. Kathryn Brown 
• What Color Are Tears by Marianne Vandawalker
• When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief (Drawing Out Feelings Series) by Marge Heegaard

Ages 6-8

• A New Mother for Martha by Phyllis Green
• Aarvy Aardvark Finds Hope: A Read Aloud Story for People of All Ages About Loving and Losing, Friendship and Hope by Donna R. O'Toole
• Am I Still a Sister? by Alicia M. Sims, illus. Jim Maus 
• Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley
• Children Are Not Paper Dolls by Erin Levy
• Geranium Morning by E. Sandy Powell, illus. Renee Graef 
• Goodbye, Chicken Little by Betsy Byars
• Grief is a Mess by Jackie Schuld
• How It Feels When a Parent Dies by Jill Krementz
• I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas, illus. Leslie Harker
• Kids' Book about Death and Dying: By and For Kids by Eric E. Rofes
• Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen
• Losing Someone You Love: When a Brother or Sister Dies by Elizabeth Richter
• Love, Mark - A Journey Through Grief by Mark Scravani
• My Brother Joey Died by Gloria Houston, illus. Harvey Kelman
• The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown
• The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers
• The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, illus. Geoff Stevenson
• Tough Boris by Mem Fox, illus. Kathryn Brown
• When People Die by Joanne E. Berstein, Stephen Gullo, and Rosmarie Hausherr
• When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief by Marge Heegard

Resources for Families

• Bereaved Children and Teens: A Support Guide for Parents and Professionals by Earl A. Grollman
• Beyond Sympathy: What to Say and Do for Someone Suffering an Injury, Illness, or Loss by Janice Harris Lord
• Dear Parents: Letters to Bereaved Parents by Centering Corporation
• How Do We Tell the Children?: A Step-by-Step Guide for Helping Children and Teens Cope When Someone Dies by Dan Schaefer and Christine Lyons 
• Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen
• No Time For Goodbyes: Coping with Sorrow, Anger, and Injustice After a Tragic Death by Janice Harris Lord
• Talking about Death: A Dialogue between Parent and Child by Earl A. Grollman

Resources for Early Childhood Professionals

• Bereaved Children and Teens: A Support Guide for Parents and Professionals by Earl A. Grollman
• Beyond Sympathy: What to Say and Do for Someone Suffering an Injury, Illness, or Loss by Janice Harris Lord
• Healing Activities for Children in Grief by Gay McWhorter
• Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen
• Mending Hearts: When a School Grieves by Amy R Murray, David L Barber
• No Time For Goodbyes: Coping with Sorrow, Anger, and Injustice After a Tragic Death by Janice Harris Lord
• What Color Are Tears by Marianne Vandawalker