I Swear You Will Be Fine

Grief is one of the most profound and challenging emotions we experience—and for children, it can feel especially confusing and overwhelming. Their hearts are still learning how to make sense of big feelings, and navigating loss without the right support can feel incredibly isolating. That’s why it’s so important to gently guide them through their grief, offering love, patience, and safe spaces to express themselves, one small step at a time. Here are some grief books that might help our little ones process this difficult emotion better.

Younger Children (3-8 years):
1. “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst
2. “Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children” by Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen
3. “I Miss You: A First Look at Death” by Pat Thomas
4. “The Memory Box: A Book About Grief” by Joanna Rowland
5. “Something Very Sad Happened” by Bonnie Zucker (Better for Ages 2–5)

Older Children (8-12 years):
1. “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson
2. “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf” by Leo Buscaglia
3. “Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss” by Pat Schwiebert & Chuck DeKlyen
4. “The Thing About Jellyfish” by Ali Benjamin
5. “Dog Heaven” by Cynthia Rylant (Especially for the loss of a pet)

Just between you and me, sometimes reading these books as an adult helps too. Children’s books have a way of distilling big, complex emotions into simple truths—reminding us of what really matters, and offering comfort in the gentlest of ways. “The Invisible String” is one of my favorites.