Cry, Heart, But Never Break by Glenn Ringtved

The books on this list give me a powerful toolbox full of many of the right words. Thinking back to when we buried Boppity, and I didn’t feel like I knew exactly what to say to our kids, I can safely say that picture books help me as a dad too. And when you’re experiencing something for the first time, It can be welcomed news that there is nothing wrong with the way you are feeling. For children that are trying to come to terms with the death of a loved one, it can be therapeutic to share those same experiences with others - and then watch and observe from a distance to see how they handle their feelings. Of course books can also be mirrors of your own life. And, most importantly, you then have time to process those experiences from a safe distance. Books are windows into other people’s lives, and living through their experiences alongside them can build empathy and expose us to a lot of new things.

I feel strongly that picture books can be a very helpful way to process difficult topics like death - for the same reason I recommend them for teaching all sorts of important life lessons. As a parent, it can be hard to know what you’re supposed to do for your kids during those sad times. And it was their first experience with some of the rituals we have surrounding death too. Our son wanted to pour some water in the hole with him.Īnd that was it - the first time our kids had to try and process what death meant.

We buried him in the backyard under a tree, we said some happy things we remembered about him, and we thanked him for being a good friend. It was sudden and surprising, and incredibly sad. And that’s exactly what it was like for our kids when Boppity died.

Cry, Heart, But Never Break by Glenn Ringtved