Recommendations for books for young children (2) on dying please

[posieflump]

For a dear friend, any recommendations gratefully received

I really like "Frog and the Birdsong" - it is a really positive book about the cycle of life. I used it with my DD1 when DD2 was on the way (with 50/50 chance of survival). DD1 was a very young four at the time.

www.amazon.co.uk/Frog-Birdsong-Max-Velthuijs/dp/0862649080

I am relieved to say that DD2 is still very much with us.

I liked "Frog and the Birdsong" too for a general book about death. However, I think it would very much depend on the circumstances as to how appropriate it is. For example, I do not think it would be right for a child who had lost a parent or a much loved grandparent because it is so matter of fact. (Frog and friends find a dead bird, they bury it, feel sad and then go off and play football.) I have a feeling that the charity Winston's Wish has a page about books that explain death to children.

I have a friend who lost her husband when her child was 2. I wanted to get her DD a book that explained death but I did find it really hard to find one that was appropriate. In the end I got a book called "No Matter What" by Debbi Gliori. It's not strictly speaking about death but it talks about what happens to love after someone died. The main problem with it, I imagine, that the person reading it would be in floods of tears by the end! I certainly was.

Goodbye Mog' about a well loved family pet dying. My 5 year old niece who's Dad died last year likes it and my sister found it sensitive.