Q: What books do you recommend for children aged four and up to prepare for, and deal with, a death in the family? What are the best kids’ books on grief?
Postdoctoral student, two book-loving kids (four and eight) and a terminally ill, much beloved relative

A: Fiona Noble, children’s and young adult previews editor for the Bookseller and member of 2017 Costa book awards judging panel
Talking about death can be overwhelming for adults; where to start with a child? Books are an invaluable way to open dialogue. Rebecca Cobb’s Missing Mummy is a straightforward but warm, tender look at the loss of a parent through the eyes of a small boy. Cobb excels at capturing a child’s perspective and a whole spectrum of emotions: anger and guilt, sadness and confusion. The child finds solace in being part of a loving family and cherishing memories of his mother.

In Grandad’s Island by Benji Davies, Syd and his grandfather have a wonderful adventure to a vibrant tropical island before Grandad reveals that he will be staying there. This is a more subtle approach: Syd comes to realise he must cross the grey seas home alone, but the message of memory and enduring love is deeply comforting.

Finally, Michael Rosen’s Sad Book isn’t the right choice for every child, but for many – and for adults too – it might offer the most realistic portrayal of bereavement. Written after the unexpected death of Rosen’s teenage son, it’s a raw, honest account perfectly matched by Quentin Blake’s dark, scratchy illustrations. Sadness is part of life, there is pain here, but hope and humanity too.

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