A reader just asked me if I could recomend some secular children’s books regarding mortality and death.
Here is a nice list of picture books on Amazon.com. The list author says: “The books on this list deal with the issue of death in a secular manner and do not introduce the concept of an afterlife to their young audience.”
Or for an older child, from Goodreads:
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book (Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors)
by Michael Rosen, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)
With unmitigated honesty, a touch of humor, and sensitive illustrations by Quentin Blake, Michael Rosen explores the experience of sadness in a way that resonates with us all. ”Sometimes I’m sad and I don’t know why. It’s just a cloud that comes along and covers me up.” Sad things happen to everyone, and sometimes people feel sad for no reason at all. What makes Michael Rosen sad is thinking about his son, Eddie, who died suddenly at the age of eighteen. In this book the author writes about his sadness, how it affects him, and some of the things he does to cope with it—like telling himself that everyone has sad stuff (not just him) and trying every day to do something he can be proud of. Expressively illustrated by the extraordinary Quentin Blake, this is a very personal story that speaks to everyone, from children to parents to grandparents, teachers to grief counselors. Whether or not you have known what it’s like to feel deeply sad, the truth of this book will surely touch you. (32 pages)
From Mama:
Just to be clear, author Michael Rosen is writing about the real life loss of his own son. I have not read this book, but others describe it as poignant and honest. Quentin Blake is the beloved illustrator of the classic Rhold Dahl children’s books.
I think it would be a worthy project for us to begin a list of secular books about mortality and death—please add your recommendations to the comments. As a community, we can help this individual reader and create a master list for the site.
