MassAIMH has collected these resources available on grief and loss that mental health professionals may find helpful in supporting children and families.
Books to Help Explain Death
The Goodbye Book – Todd Parr
The Next Place – Warren Hanson
The Gift of the Ladybug – Carole Amber (Shorter Life Expectancy or Older Children who Die)
Where’s Jess? – A Centering Corp Resource
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children – Bryan Mallonie and Robert Ingpen
Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children – Doris Stickney
Books About Feeling Connected
The Invisible String – Karst
The Purple Balloon – Chris Raschloa
You Are My Heart – Marianne Richmond
Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You – Nancy Tillman
I’d Know You Anywhere, My Love – Nancy Tillman
Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs – Susan Schaefer Bernardo and Courtenay Fletcher
Books About Emotions
The Feelings Book – Todd Parr
The Way I Feel – Janan Cain
My Many Colored Days – Dr. Seuss
In My Heart – Joe Witek
Recorded Story Books
Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You – Nancy Tillman
All the Ways I Love You – Theresa Trinder
Under the Same Moon – Suzanne Berry
Workbooks / Activity Books
Help Me Say Goodbye: Activities for Helping Kids Cope When a Special Person Dies – Janis Silverman
How I Feel: A Coloring Book for Grieving Children – Alan Wolfelt
Healing Your Grieving Heart for Kids – Alan Wolfelt
Fire in my Heart, Ice in my Veins – A Centering Corp Resource
After a Murder – The Dougy Center
When Someone Very Special Dies – Marge Heegaard
When Something Terrible Happens – Marge Heegaard
The Healing Book – Ellen Sabin
Other Resources
Someone Came Before You – Pat Schwiebert
We were gonna have a baby, but we had an angel instead – Pat Schwiebert (pregnancy loss)
Something Happened – Cathy Blanford (pregnancy loss)
No New Baby – Marilyn Gryte (pregnancy loss)
Someone I Loved Died by Suicide – Doreen T. Cammarata and Michael Ives Volk
What About Me? When brothers and sisters get sick – Allan Peterkin