Books for 4 yr old girl to help with bereavement?

[saltnshake]

Can anyone recommend anything suitable to give child who has just lost her father? Don't know full circumstances yet but it was sudden and unexpected.

[posieflump]

There is a lovely one called Badger's Parting Gift
Also the last Mog book might help

[Twiglett]

you need to be extremely aware of the fact that some books can be amazingly difficult for a remaining parent to read to their child

Particularly if the bereavement is extremely close

look around Winstons Wish site for some ideas of memory boxes etc instead

although there are a number of great books out there

sorry got to run and get DD from pre-school .. will reply more later

[MyEye]

a friend whose husband died tragically and unexpectedly said their 3yo son fastened on this Always and Forever

[Izzywhizzy]

I think this is the best children's book I have come across. It explains death in a really easy to understand and beautiful way.

www.amazon.co.uk/Lifetimes-Bryan-Mellonie/dp/0553344021/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207049889&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 sr=8-1

[saltnshake]

thanks everyone, some good suggestions and lots to read on the Winstons Wish site too

[mybestfriendiscalledstig]

The Radio 4 children's programme, Go For It was about childhood bereavement yesterday - link here www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gfi/bestbits/ podcast info at the bottom. not sure if anything was relevant to one so young, but could be useful

[Twiglett]

I think I would re-think the giving book idea personally. Although that depends on your level of involvement with the family of course and whether you

a) know the religious leanings of the family (I know a widow who gets intensely upset by people talking about heaven for example) and;

b) will be there to read the story to the child

[ara]

I think Dick Bruna did a good book for children dealing with bereavement - hang on and will try find it...

[ara]

"Dear Grandma Bunny" - a Miffy book. He won the Silver Slate Award for it in 1997.

[windygalestoday]

im not so sure books and gifts are the way to go tbh......very thoughtful of you but at 4 its a very hard concept.

i lost my mum when i was 11 and a very kind person who i didnt even know had a pot plant for the garden delivered to me,so i could plant it nd think of my mum.

[Madlentileater]

I like the lifetimes book too, but I would say it's more one to help dealing with the concept of death in a more abstract way. I aggree with Twigg, difficult to choose an appropriate book unless you are very close. Badger is about a grandparent peacefully reaching the end of life, really. Mog I would say more for pets, there's also a nice one called (I think) Mousie, again either of those would work for exploring death in the abstract.
Sorry that you are on the dge of such a sad situation, we all have such a strong impulse to help and sometimes it's hard to know what to do. Maybe supporting the family in a more general way would be useful?

[Jacanne]

Annalisa Barbieri did a Personal Shopper column on this a while ago. It's here - that might have some ideas in it you could use.

[lottiejenkins]

Can second the Mog suggestion and this is another excellent one......
www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-You-First-Death-Books/dp/0764117645/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207082992&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 sr=8-1
My ds lost his dad when he was five and this was the book we were recommended, i must also second the suggestion to contact WW, they are fabulous and have helped us a lot too......
The specialise in helping children who have suffered a bereavement.
www.winstonswish.org.uk/

[twirlymum]

No Matter What by Debbie Gliori is lovely.