Kids

Discover how a young girl gains healing and hope as she processes the loss of a loved one in this beautifully sensitive story.

Piper is feeling sad and empty after the loss of her mother. So when her father, who is struggling in his own way, gives her a telescope to console her, she’s excited to explore the night sky. But she doesn’t find stars or planets when she looks through her lens. Instead, she finds a constellation of memories, a treasured collection of big and small moments with her mother, which she hurries to draw before they fade from view. Night after night she sketches, until eventually, she finds herself in a room covered in memories, surrounded by reminders of her mother’s love.
 
This poignant book offers children a pathway to acknowledge and process their grief over the loss of a loved one. The author's spare and lyrical language provides the emotional depth the topic requires, while allowing parents and caregivers to use the book to begin deeper conversations with their young loved ones. Whether children choose to use art as their outlet or find another way, the message is clear: they can carry the memories of their loved ones with them. An ending Note to Parents features guidance from a licensed children's counselor about how to use the book and where to find additional resources. Written from a place of personal experience, this story strives to bring comfort to children hurting after loss.

Fox Under the Moon is a beautifully illustrated book for all ages offering gentle reflections on life, love, grief, and change.

Through quiet conversations between a curious young fox and the wise old moon, this heartfelt story explores the emotions we all experience as the seasons shift - from waiting through winter to learning how to let go in autumn.

Filled with comforting words and stunning illustrations, this is a thoughtful gift for anyone navigating loss, change, or a difficult season.

Written by historian and museum curator Sarah Chavez, We Need to Talk About Death helps children understand what happens when we die in a gentle, honest, and reassuring way. Exploring how different cultures around the world honor and remember loved ones, this thoughtful book opens up age-appropriate conversations about loss, remembrance, and the many ways we keep people’s memories alive.

Recommended for pre-teens and teens

Written by grief counselor Dr. Korie Leigh, It Won’t Ever Be the Same is a compassionate guide created specifically for teens navigating loss. Through reflections, relatable analogies, and creative exercises, the book helps young people name, express, and make sense of complex emotions. Each chapter includes gentle “Give It a Try” activities - like journaling prompts, reflection questions, and small coping exercises - designed to help teens process grief in their own way and at their own pace. Featuring words and artwork from other grieving teens, it offers reassurance, connection, and the reminder that they are not alone as they learn to live alongside grief.

In this unique and compassionate guide, renowned grief counselor Helen Fitzgerald turns her attention to the special needs of adolescents struggling with loss and gives teens the tools they need to work through their pain and grief.

Fitzgerald guides teens through everything from the sickbed to the funeral, from the first day back at school to the first anniversary of the death. Above all, she lets teens know that even in their darkest hour, they are not alone.

Does my child understand? I wonder what they are thinking and feeling. A child's grief experience is very complex and differs dependent on developmental level, age, and relationship to the person who died. It is so important that children receive the opportunity to intentionally process their grief with a provider trained in trauma and grief in children.

This is a 1:1 45 minute video session for children 4 and above to meet with a mental health provider from Hearts Connected, an organization connecting children and families to child life support services nationwide. All practitioners have extensive experience and expertise supporting children 0-21 with grief and loss.

Every session is tailored to the individual needs of the child and family. A session may involve education about death and dying, a therapeutic activity, memory making, or emotional processing. At the end of a session, the child's parent will have a chance to meet with the provider and go over the needs assessed during that session for ongoing support.

Parents will also be provided access to a private Facebook group including support, resources, research, and education for parents surrounding children's grief.

Any add-ons purchased will be sent in the care package as a gift certificate.

Award-winning author Andrew Larsen beautifully captures the special bond between a child and a grandparent, and sensitively deals with a child’s loss of a loved one. Using the motif of their shared love of birds and its physical manifestation in the form of the bird feeder allows for a continuity in the child’s life that puts the loss in a larger context.

Larsen offers an authentic, straightforward presentation of the process of a loved one’s death, from being sick, to going to the hospice, to participating less and less in their relationship, to death.

It will lead young readers to ask their own questions about life, death and how we remember those who die. The cool palette and simple lines in Dorothy Leung’s art evoke empathy for the child’s experience, while the presence of the birds adds life and hope to the visual story.

As a dog and his little girl go on their final walk together, he experiences the sights, smells, and wonders of this world one last time before peacefully passing on. But for such a good boy (oh yes, he is!) and his forever friend, that doesn't mean it's the end.

Offering a unique and noteworthy take on death, this book balances the somber topic with a dog's ever-optimistic viewpoint, all woven together with its unconventional yet fitting approach to language.

Recommended for ages 3-5

Written by Derick Wilder and Illustrated by Catia Chien

Beautifully written, exquisitely illustrated, and quietly brave. Yumi and the Monster honors disability with honesty and hope, showing kids that courage can look like softness, patience, and asking for help. It’s a beautiful invitation to build empathy and start meaningful classroom conversations. 

Recommended for ages 4-8 years

Gift a digital library of playful, self-soothing, 5-minute videos by Roots Up. The videos include evidence-based mind/body tools to help children relieve stress, navigate big emotions, build emotional resilience, and develop healthy coping skills.

Although the library was designed for children ages 4-12, caregivers of all ages have benefited from the videos alongside the children they care for. The videos are easy to use (just press play), and were co-designed with children to support them on their emotional healing journeys. 

Each video includes deep breathing, mindfulness, yoga postures and guided imagery, all evidence-based techniques that offer in-the-moment relief and life-long coping skills. All videos in the library are backed by research, trauma-informed, offer seated and movement options, and were designed to support children of all neurotypes. 

Here's what people are saying:

“Roots Up’s guided meditation library was the only ticket to sleep that my daughter had for a long time. The videos became our bedtime ritual. I can't begin to express how grateful I was to have found Roots Up and for the impact that it had on my daughter and our family." 

Any add-ons purchased will be sent in the care package as a gift certificate.