Children Also Grieve: Talking about Death and Healing [Hardcover]

Linda Goldman (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2005

"Children Also Grieve" is an imaginative resource, fully illustrated with color photographs, that offers support and reassurance to children coming to terms with the loss of a close friend or relative and to adults who are supporting them through their bereavement. The combination of narrative and interactive memory book in the first part of the book, is designed to be read and worked through by children. The story tells of the experiences of Henry, the dog of a family whose grandfather has died. During Henry's progress through the different stages of bereavement, he learns strategies for coping with his grief. At various stages of the story, Goldman provides readers with the opportunity to share their own reactions to loss through words and pictures, using specific prompt questions that encourage the exploration of different facets of grief. The second part includes a list of useful vocabulary, to help children express their feelings about bereavement, a bibliography of other useful resources for both children and adults, and a section that will help adults to understand and aid children throughout the grief process. This last section also explains the approach taken in the story, details typical responses to bereavement, and discusses useful ways in which adults can discuss and share grief with children. This book is an invaluable tool for bereaved children and those who care for them.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–This title, meant to be shared by a child and an adult, will help youngsters deal with grief. The book is divided into four sections. In Henry's Story, the family dog tells of Grandfather's death and describes family members and their various responses (Grandfather died and I am very sad; This is Ling….He is sad after Grandfather died and doesn't feel like playing ball anymore). Each reaction is different, but considered completely normal. Some pages include a question or two designed to encourage children to talk about their feelings (Can you tell me what you think death is?). Colored photographs are interspersed throughout the dog's narration. The My Memory Book section contains 19 pages of fill-in-the-blank sentences and opportunities to add or draw pictures. A two-page glossary defines words associated with death and grieving. The last part, For Caring Adults, provides information about a child's understanding of death, signs of grief, and more. While some children might wonder why the dog is telling the story, this book will encourage dialogue and will aid children in dealing with loss and healing.–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
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Review

"Linda Goldman has offered a bridge of understanding between grieving children and the adults who care about them. Using a balanced offering of simple text, appealing photos, gentle coaching, and straightforward advice, she has provided to readers of all ages an accessible resource for understanding and managing the experience of loss in a way that lets them draw closer together, rather than drift further apart. I recommend it highly." - Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD, author of Lessons of Loss: A Guide to Coping and Editor of Death Studies "The sharing pages, memory book section, and the very important 'Sharing Grief with Words' provide the community, family, and therapist with the tools to help children climb out of this canyon of pain they are experiencing. Normalizing the grief response and letting each response to grief be understood will help all of us who grieve. This is a book that is not just for children, it is for all of us who love and experience the love of someone who is no longer present in our lives." - Frank Campbell, Executive Director of the Office of Clinical Research and Consultation of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, Executive Director of the Crisis Center Foundation, and Past President of the American Association of Suicidology "Children Also Grieve is the definitive book for young people facing loss and the adults who care about them.[It] brings warmth and reassurance to children of all ages who are coping with the death of a loved one and struggling to understand the mysteries of life at the time of loss. Linda Goldman offers gentle guidance for children grieving a loss and invaluable information for the adults who support them on their journey to heal. ...As children join Henry on his journey to understand the death of Grandfather, they gently explore their own feelings of pain and sadness. By identifying with the animals and children in the book, readers learn they are not alone in how they are feeling and find comfort in gaining constructive ways to honor their loss and heal from the pain of their grief." - Bonnie Carroll, Founder and Chairman of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors "In her easy, caring style, Linda Goldman has come up with a creative way to help parents and counselors address grief in children. It's a read-to workbook with Linda's own photographs, designed to overcome the hesitation both parents and children have in talking about death and addressing children's grief. It includes pages in which children are invited to write about their own feelings and paste in pictures and clippings. And it has a section for parents to broaden their understanding of what grieving children really need." - Helen Fitzgerald, Training Director for the American Hospice Foundation and author of The Grieving Child

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 79 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1 edition (October 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843108089
• ISBN-13: 978-1843108085
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 11.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #748,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and practical, December 29, 2005

By 

Boris (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children Also Grieve: Talking about Death and Healing (Hardcover)

This is the best book I have seen for Children on the topic of grief. It speaks simply and practically on this sensitive subject and is beautifully illustrated. The memory book section was particularly useful as is the guide for adults. A true must have as a resourse to help grieving children!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children Also Grieve, Talking about Death and Healing, January 17, 2006

By 

Joan Cochran (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Children Also Grieve: Talking about Death and Healing (Hardcover)

I am the director of a non-profit agency in Los Angeles working
with children in grief. This is by far the most compassionate, thorough, age appropriate book that I have ever read for children
in grief. I would recommend
this book to any parent, teacher or professional as a guide to
helping children through one of the most difficult time in their lives.
I'd like to see this book in every library as a reference guide
for our most vulnerable children.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle and honest, October 12, 2007

By 

Beverly K. Wilson "Grief Matters, LLC" (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Children Also Grieve: Talking about Death and Healing (Hardcover)

As a grief therapist, I found many aspects of children and grief to be covered within this excellent resource. Written to be read by adults to children, each page becomes a valuable spark for healthy discussion about normal feelings such as guilt, fear, shame, and anger. Told through the eyes of Henry, the family dog, ideas for creating a memory book are presented in a workbook format. Reading a page or two with a grieving child each evening would be a caring and educational replacement for bedtime stories, until the child is ready to move on.

A resource chapter for caregivers and a glossary of bereavement terms are included at the end of the book, which provide recommendations for facilitating children's understanding and expressions of their grief. Without a doubt, a secondary benefit is for the caregivers reading to the children, who may not understand for themselves why someone special has died.

This book is highly recommended for school libraries, church libraries, lending libraries in centers for grieving children, and families who are struggling to explain loss to young children.

Grief matters.