books

As a Parent and teacher my mind often goes to the question of “What’s available for kids?”. When I began building a Doula library I started looking at books for kids first. Since I’m cautious about recommending a book until I’ve read it myself I went ahead and ordered two books that were well rated. Each of these books are written well and do a different job of explaining pet loss and the emotions that come with it. My 7 year old child read the books with me and agreed that these are “good books for kids”. The first book I ordered was written by Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers Neighborhood)! I have always been a fan of Mr. Rogers wondered what my child would think of a book written way back when I was a kid. I asked my daughter if she would like to read the book with me because I value her opinion. This book discusses the emotions we have when a pet dies, and the photos feature diverse families (for the 80’s). Representation is important, especially when we’re talking about emotions and how to process what is probably the first time a child experiences grief.

The next book I found was highly rated and once again I asked my daughter to read the book with me. This illustrated book follows the story of a boy whose dog passes away. This story doesn’t discuss emotions but is a cute way to introduce children to the concept of the Rainbow Bridge. My daughter enjoyed the story and thinks it will help other kids. This book was my 2nd purchase for my Doula library. I have one more book for kids on my list, this one is called “The Invisible Leash”. It’s well rated, illustrated and sounds like a good addition but I haven’t had a chance to order it yet. Have you read it or heard of it? Let me know what you think. I’ll continue looking for other books that would be helpful for kids, along with helpful books for adults.

If you have any recommendations please leave me a comment.