(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Death Picture Books–https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/OOMLLW39XJKX?ref_=aipsflist.)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
What Happens After?
by Diane Namm (Author), Laura Jäger (Illustrator)
Summary: How do we go on after the death of someone we love? This picture book provides answers for young readers to understand and relate to. We may feel sad, mad, or alone. We still do the things that the deceased enjoyed and remember them in our own way.
Comments: This book is helpful for children who are grieving, as it helps them understand that their feelings are valid and guides them on how to move forward without their loved one.
This would make a great addition to any library and one that teachers, parents, and counselors could share.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
*I received a free copy of this book.
Do You Remember?
by Sydney Smith (Author)
Brief summary: A mother and son exchange memories of when the father was still with them. They have moved to a new home in the city where everything is new. They decide that they will begin to make new memories together.
Comments: This book could be shared as a read-aloud between two people. The mother’s voice is in red ink; the boy’s is in blue.
We are not told where the father is or what happened to him. This could be a discussion point with students.
The soft and calm illustrations match the mood of lying in bed and reminiscing.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Grandpa and the Kingfisher
by Anna Wilson (Author), Sarah Massini (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A young boy and his grandpa visit the river in the spring and discover a kingfisher diving in the water to catch a fish. They come back in the summer to find two kingfishers building a nest.
The boy and his grandfather keep coming to the river over the seasons, watching the birds’ life cycle.
The boy asks questions about the birds while the man answers, paralleling his life.
Comments: This story does talk about death and how nature continues but gently and matter-of-factly so that children can understand.
Wonderful watercolor illustrations.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
The Hare-Shaped Hole
by John Dougherty (Author), Thomas Docherty (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Hertle the hare and Bertle the turtle are best friends and do everything together. The next day, there is only a shadow where Hertle is supposed to be. Bertle looked everywhere for his friend but only had the hare-shaped hole.
Bertle was crying when Gerda the bear cuddled him, sharing how to feel better when losing someone.
Comments: This gentle book would be a great bibliotherapeutic book for remembering someone we lost.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
The Hole
by Lindsay Bonilla (Author), Brizida Magro (Illustrator)
Summary: A boy notices holes in his home, in his parents’, and in himself where his younger brother, Matty, used to fill. He notices that other people have holes who have lost someone too. He finally faces the hole and falls into it to confront his emotions. His friend Nora asks him if he would like to tell her about his brother, which helps him feel better.
Comments: This would make a wonderful book to help students deal with grief.
I like how the boy can fill the hole with good memories of his brother.
The illustrations were created using watercolor washes, colored pencils, and paper collage, all assembled digitally.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Under Anna’s Umbrella
by Amanda Driscoll (Author), Luisa Uribe (Illustrator)
Summary: Anna was attending her father’s funeral when it started pouring rain, but she felt safe under her large umbrella. Afterwards, she began to carry her open umbrella with her everywhere—both inside and outside. One day, she saw a boy getting soaked in the rain and invited him to seek shelter under her umbrella. How will Anna learn to walk in the sunlight again without her umbrella shading her?
Comments: The journey of grief that Anna experienced before she could walk in the sun again is a touching story that may help children.
The illustrations were created digitally.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.)
These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Grief Picture Books–https://amzn.to/3LER5Vo .
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Our Lake
by Angie Kang (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: Two brothers walk to the lake to go swimming without their father for the first time since he died. The older brother jumps into the water from the cliff and coaxes his brother to join him. Will he be able to jump without the help of his father?
Comments: A beautiful story of two brothers learning how to grieve while moving forward without their father beside them; only in spirit.
The illustrations were created using gouache with additional textures added in crayon and colored pencil.
This is an excellent story to share with students and children experiencing death of a relative. It is gentle and quiet and does not overly emphasize their feelings.
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Where Are You, Brontë?
by Tomie dePaola (Author), Barbara McClintock (Illustrator)
Summary: Tomie adopted a puppy named Brontë. He grew up to become a beloved dog, always playing, running, and going for rides. Tomie and Brontë even adapted to the dog’s blindness. Eventually, Tomie learned to cope with the loss of his dog.
Comments: This is Tomie dePaola’s last fully written book.
This was created with pens, colored pencils, watercolor and gouache on watercolor paper.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The Invisible Parade
by Leigh Bardugo (Author), John Picacio (Author, Artist)
Summary: Cala’s grandfather has passed away. While everyone in her house and neighborhood is preparing for Día de Muertos, she feels too sad to participate. Reluctantly, she goes with her family to the cemetery. Suddenly, she finds herself separated from them. As Cala searches for her family, she encounters different ghostly riders on horses who help her confront her fears and the concept of death.
Comments: The illustrations were drawn in graphite.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Just What to Do
by Kyle Lukoff (Author), Hala Tahboub (Illustrator)
Summary: A young child strives to bring comfort to various friends, realizing that each one requires support in different ways. One friend, who has lost her grandmother, feels unsure about how to cope. Together, they explore ways to simply be present for each other.
Comments: This is a kind and gentle book that teaches how people grieve and how they need comforting in various ways.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
I Miss You Most
by Charlotte Cheng (Author), Xindi Yan (Illustrator)
Summary: A young girl recalls the many things she misses about her grandfather. Over time, she begins to remember differently, not sadly but reflectively, and realizes he is with her in many ways..
Comments:I found this comforting because it encourages someone to share memories of a loved one, helping a grieving person open up.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Small Things Mended
by Casey W. Robinson (Author), Nancy Whitesides (Illustrator)
Summary: Cecil steps outside his house after hearing Lily, the little girl next door, playing in her yard. Suddenly, a watch flies out of her pocket and lands in his driveway. He manages to fix the watch and realizes how much he enjoys repairing things. Before long, several other children come to him with their broken toys and items that need fixing. Cecil also invites the neighbors over for lunch in his backyard. As a result, he starts feeling happy again.
Comments: The illustrations were created using gouache, crayons, pencils, and digital media.
The book does not explain Cecil’s melancholy forthrightly, but the empty house and empty chairs could indicate that he is now a widower.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Flora’s Wish
by Fiona Halliday (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: Flora, a little mouse, is friends with Lion, a dandelion. Flora appreciates how Lion makes her feel brave and safe. As Lion’s bright yellow blooms turn to silver, they float away in the wind. In the meantime, Flora finds comfort in a scarecrow, sleeping in its pocket until spring arrives, when everything is good again.
Comments: The illustrations beautifully enhance the story.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
A Walk in the Woods
by Nikki Grimes (Author), Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator), Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)
Summary: A boy, whose father passed away a week ago, opens an envelope left for him. Inside, he finds a map of the woods they used to explore together. He decides to follow the path marked on the map, leading him to an old fireplace marked with an “X.” As he discovers this hidden spot, he finds comfort in what he unearths and realizes that his father is still close to him in spirit.
Comments: Beautifully illustrated with sketches and watercolors
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Remembering
by Xelena González (Author), Adriana M. Garcia (Illustrator)
Summary: A family honors their beloved dog on Día de Muertos by creating an altar for the deceased, which includes the dog’s collar, toys, sticks, a photo, and other items the dog enjoyed. The family also shares stories about their cherished pet.
Comments: This book was illustrated with acrylic paint.
The back pages provide additional information about the altar and offerings. The author and illustrator share their story of remembering pets.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
What Happens After?
by Diane Namm (Author), Laura Jäger (Illustrator)
Summary: How do we go on after the death of someone we love? This picture book provides answers that help young readers understand and relate to it. We may feel sad, mad, or alone. We still do the things that the deceased enjoyed and remember them in our own way.
Comments: This book is helpful for children who are grieving, as it helps them understand that their feelings are valid and guides them in moving forward without their loved one.
This would make a great addition to any library and could be shared by teachers, parents, and counselors.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
*I received a free copy of this book.
The Hole
by Lindsay Bonilla (Author), Brizida Magro (Illustrator)
Summary: A boy notices gaps in his home, in his parents, and within himself where his younger brother, Matty, used to fit. He realizes that other people also have these holes, as they, too, have lost someone. Eventually, he confronts his emptiness and delves into his emotions. His friend Nora asks if he would like to share memories about his brother, which helps him begin to feel better.
Comments: This would make a wonderful book to help students deal with grief.
I like how the boy can fill the hole with good memories of his brother.
The illustrations were created using watercolor washes, colored pencils, and paper collage, all assembled digitally.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Under Anna’s Umbrella
by Amanda Driscoll (Author), Luisa Uribe (Illustrator)
Summary: Anna was attending her father’s funeral when it started pouring rain, but she felt safe under her large umbrella. Afterwards, she began carrying her open umbrella everywhere—both inside and outside. One day, she saw a boy getting soaked in the rain and invited him to seek shelter under her umbrella. How will Anna learn to walk in the sunlight again without her umbrella shading her?
Comments: The journey of grief that Anna experienced before she could walk in the sun again is a touching story that may help children.
The illustrations were created digitally.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Mouseboat
by Larissa Theule (Author), Abigail Halpin (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A girl who has recently lost her mother goes on a trip to their lake house with her father. She misses her mother but can not find a connection until she takes out the mouse boat she and her mother built together. She can face her emotions.
Comments: The illustrator captured the mourning girl’s facial expressions and the sad tone of the house of grief with cool, darker colors. Well done.
I could follow the storyline with or without the text, which is an excellent picture book to me. I’d like to see more picture books with this duo. They complement each other well.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Missing Violet
by Kelly Swemba (Author), Fabiana Faiallo (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Mia has a best friend named Violet, with whom she plays and does activities at school. Her friend goes home sick and never returns. Mia works through her grief with a counselor. Her class does activities together to honor Violet.
Comments: This story provides a heartfelt exploration of coping with the sudden loss of a friend. It would be an excellent read-aloud choice for a classroom facing the unexpected passing of a classmate.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
I’ll Say Goodbye
by Pam Zollman (Author), Frances Ives (Illustrator)
Summary: A young child shares the story of Uncle Mike and their time together at the beach. They discovered a hermit crab and decided to keep it as a pet. Uncle Mike was battling cancer and had to remain in the hospital. The child recalls how relatives came to visit, the funeral they attended, and their feelings of wondering where Uncle Mike is now.
Comments: This book was illustrated with mixed media.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Goodbye, Bear
by Jane Chapman (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: Bear died on Friday. Beaver and Mole comfort each other by remembering their friend. At times, they are angry because Bear died. The forest animals come together to build a tree house in Bear’s remembrance.
Comments: This is a gentle and heartwarming book about friends coming together to honor a memory.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, she may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.)
On the Edge of the World (Stories from Latin America)
by Anna Desnitskaya (Author), Lena Traer (Translator)
Brief summary: Vera lives on the east coast of Russia. She longs to have a friend and often imagines one enjoying her interests and the places she goes. When it is dark, Vera goes to the beach with her mom and turns her flashlight off and on in Morse code for “hi.”
Lucas lives in Chile and longs to have a friend too. He imagines what it would be like to have someone to play soccer or read a book high up in a tree. In the evening, Lucas and his father go to the beach and turn his flashlight off and on, blinking four short flashes, pause, and two short flashes.
Will these two get a response?
Comments: Half of the book is Vera’s story, and then one flips the book over and reads about Luca’s story. I love upside-down books.
Teachers could share this in social studies. For example: “If we are standing on the eastern section of our school and shine a flashlight at night, what is the closest city, state, or country.
It could also supplement a science class on how far a flashlight’s beam can be seen or even have the students practice Morse Code.
Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
*I received a complimentary print copy of this children’s book from the publisher to give an honest review.
Carina Felina
by Carmen Agra Deedy (Author), Henry Cole (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Pepe the parrot loves Carina Felina, the cat. He invites her to his house for dinner, where he has made 100 Cuban crackers. Carina Felina ate them all and Pepe! The greedy and narcissistic cat goes through the town, eating and eating everyone she comes across. Will they ever get out of the cat’s belly?
Comments: This is a Caribbean retelling of “The Cat and the Parrot”. There are some Spanish words in the story with a pronunciation key in the back and the recipe for Pepe’s Cuban Crackers.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Grandpa and the Kingfisher
by Anna Wilson (Author), Sarah Massini (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A young boy and his grandpa visit the river in the spring and discover a kingfisher diving in the water to catch a fish. They come back in the summer to find two kingfishers building a nest.
The boy and his grandfather keep coming to the river over the seasons, watching the birds’ life cycle.
The boy asks questions about the birds while the man answers, paralleling his life.
Comments: This story does talk about death and how nature continues but gently and matter-of-factly so that children can understand.
Wonderful watercolor illustrations.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras (Stories from Latin America)
by Nelson Rodríguez (Author), Leonardo Agustín Montes (Author), Rosana Faría (Illustrator), Carla Tabora (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)
Brief summary: Luis lives in Villa Nueva, Honduras, and prefers sharing happy stories with his friends and neighbors to take their minds off unhappiness. He is good at storytelling and likes to retell stories. Monday is when the bookmobile comes for the Hour of the Chochororochochochó, where the bookmobile comes to share stories and books. Luis repeats the stories he has heard with his family.
Comments: The back pages tell the factual story of JustWorld International. This would be a wonderful book for children to learn about how other cultures learn about storytelling and books.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
*I received a complimentary print copy of this children’s book from the publisher to give an honest review.
Baller Ina
by Liz Casal (Author, Illustrator)
Brief summary: Ina loves to practice her ballet steps. She changes into her high tops to play basketball, using the steps she has learned in ballet class.
Comments: This is an upbeat book on how athletes can use skills from one sport to another.
Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
The Baddies
by Julia Donaldson (Author), Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A troll, ghost, and witch are baddies who enjoy being bad and bragging about it. A girl moves into a nearby cottage. The baddies devise different ways to scare her but are unsuccessful as she shows them kindness and understanding.
Comments: Young readers will enjoy the humorous story.
This is the author of the two books Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo.
This was originally printed in the UK in 2022.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗 1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Together We Swim
by Valerie Bolling (Author), Kaylani Juanita (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A toddler learns to swim in the pool with the reassurance of his mother and father when he fails and the praise when he accomplishes the steps to swimming without help.
Comments: I recommend this book for preschool and kindergarten teachers looking for fun rhythmic and rhyming text that young readers will enjoy saying aloud.
Perseverance and reassurance after failing a task can lead to success.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Wepa
by J de laVega (Author, Illustrator)
Brief summary: Besides being intelligent, Mia likes to be creative and fashionable but has some things she does not do well. Her Mami says she has too much wepa. Mia tries ballet, hoping to get some of the wepa out, but it does not work. She finally finds an avenue where she releases her wepa.
Comments: According to dictionary.com, wepa means “a Spanish slang used to convey excitement, congratulations, and joy, similar to the English Oh yeah!, Wow!, or That’s awesome!“
The author shares that everyone in her family has ADHD.
This is a bilingual English-Spanish picture book.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game
by Laurie Wallmark (Author), Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Judit and her sisters were trained by their parents to play chess. They competed, with Judit being the youngest. She won junior tournaments against adults. Judit and her family went to the USA, where she competed in games against adults and won. Her goal was to become the youngest grandmaster. She returned to Budapest to study and became the national champion of Hungary. Will Judit’s chess journey lead her to her goal?
Comments: The back pages include Timeline and The Mathematics of Chess.
This is an inspirational story of encouragement, hard work, and perseverance.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent (Stories from Latin America)
by Irene Vasco (Author), Juan Palomino (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)
Brief summary: A young teacher is given her first teaching assignment in Las Delicias, in the middle of the jungle in the Amazon. She brings her many books on an eventful four-day journey to the new school, a straw roof with a blackboard against a tree trunk.
She begins teaching and sharing her books for the students to take home. One morning, the children ran by the school, urging her that a great serpent was coming. They must get to higher ground. The serpent does come, destroying everything, including her precious books.
A few days later, around a fire, the women began to share legends from the squares of white fabric they had been embroidering and making into cloth books. The students translated the words for the teacher. Over time, the teacher learned the language of Las Delicias and how to embroider. She decided to stay.
Comments: Young readers will stay interested in the curiosity of how this young teacher’s journey unfolds.
I kept wondering where I would have been sent to teach. I’m thankful I was able to choose myself.
Wouldn’t this be an excellent book to share on a teachers’ professional development day?
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
*I received a complimentary print copy of this children’s book from the publisher to give an honest review.
Children’s book titles are carefully handpicked by a certified elementary school librarian who, although retired, still enjoys reading children’s books, especially picture books, and recommending them to busy teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book lovers.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris reads before recommending are checked out from the public library, except for those much-appreciated complimentary copies sent to her for an honest review. Those are noted.
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