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When Someone Dies: A Children’s Mindful How-To Guide on Grief and Loss
“Andrea Dorn’s When Someone Dies helps kids explore and understand their feelings about loss in a concrete, easy-to-follow way. This is a wonderful new resource on grief for professionals, kids, and families.”
— David Kessler, author of Finding The Sixth Stage of Grief and founder of Grief.com “ When Someone Dies is the best book I’ve ever read addressing death through a child’s eyes. Practical yet compassionate, this book offers hope and the tools to build a foundational understanding of the loss we will all experience throughout our lifetimes.”
― Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC, author of The Missing Stage of Grief Navigating the grief and bereavement process can be a challenging and unpredictable experience, especially for children. Whether it’s the loss of a family member, friend, pet, or other loved one, children often don’t know how to cope with the complicated and complex emotions that accompany death. Written and illustrated by a therapist (and mother), Andrea Dorn, MSW, When Someone Dies walks children through the bereavement process in a simple, concrete, and developmentally appropriate way. Through the lens of mindfulness, children will learn how to say goodbye, make space for any emotions that arise, and work through their grief. Written for parents, teachers, and therapists alike, this straightforward yet powerful book
— David Kessler, author of Finding The Sixth Stage of Grief and founder of Grief.com “ When Someone Dies is the best book I’ve ever read addressing death through a child’s eyes. Practical yet compassionate, this book offers hope and the tools to build a foundational understanding of the loss we will all experience throughout our lifetimes.”
― Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC, author of The Missing Stage of Grief Navigating the grief and bereavement process can be a challenging and unpredictable experience, especially for children. Whether it’s the loss of a family member, friend, pet, or other loved one, children often don’t know how to cope with the complicated and complex emotions that accompany death. Written and illustrated by a therapist (and mother), Andrea Dorn, MSW, When Someone Dies walks children through the bereavement process in a simple, concrete, and developmentally appropriate way. Through the lens of mindfulness, children will learn how to say goodbye, make space for any emotions that arise, and work through their grief. Written for parents, teachers, and therapists alike, this straightforward yet powerful book
- GenresGrief
48 pages, Hardcover
Published March 22, 2022
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 20, 2022
My son and I read this book as his grandma passed away last month. I was hoping this could help him cope and be more understanding to the situation. This went above and beyond my expectations! The steps you can utilize when you're having feelings are helpful reminders to him. The mindful meditation is great and works wonders even with situations outside of dealing with a loss. I enjoyed every minute of it and the questions kept him actively engaged the whole time!
March 13, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for providing this ebook for free against an honest written review.
Even for us „grownups“ grief is a hard thing.
Why should it be any different for children?
We often forget in our grief that the little person next to us might not even understand what happened.
I believe this book with its great illustrations is a very good way to show children what the meaning of grieving is and that it is totally normal to feel the way they feel.
I would definitely read this book with my children because grief is hard to explain and not everybody handles it the same or experiences it the same way.
Even for us „grownups“ grief is a hard thing.
Why should it be any different for children?
We often forget in our grief that the little person next to us might not even understand what happened.
I believe this book with its great illustrations is a very good way to show children what the meaning of grieving is and that it is totally normal to feel the way they feel.
I would definitely read this book with my children because grief is hard to explain and not everybody handles it the same or experiences it the same way.
March 13, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.
I loved this book very much.
It's very self explanatory. It talks about every feeling and emotion that one can feel when someone you love dies.
It explains the situation in a very honest way. I am from Spain and I have been told that people you love go to heaven when they die quite often, but I really appreciated that in this book, kids are involved and are part of the farewell process.
Definitely a great book!
I loved this book very much.
It's very self explanatory. It talks about every feeling and emotion that one can feel when someone you love dies.
It explains the situation in a very honest way. I am from Spain and I have been told that people you love go to heaven when they die quite often, but I really appreciated that in this book, kids are involved and are part of the farewell process.
Definitely a great book!
March 12, 2022
This book is written and illustrated by therapist Andrea Dorn, MSW, and really delivers as the synopsis promises.
I have been looking for a children’s story to explain death to my young child for a while now as last year we lost his grandfather, and it had been very difficult for him to understand what had happened, and it also made my grief more difficult as he would often ask after him or bring up memories that were difficult for me at the time.
Therefore, having this story to read through together and sit down and answer the accompanying questions really helped his understanding, and this opened a much larger line of communication between us, and my son was actually asking me questions days after w had read the book, meaning that it was sitting with him, and he was curious and wanting to learn more.
I additionally love the content at the end of the book such as the emotions chart and the three-step process when feelings and memories are overwhelming, and even as an adult I have taken this on board, and it really does help! Plus there are certain parts of the book aimed purely at adults and caregivers to explain how the book can help as well as providing any kind of definition that may be required.
The illustrations are perfect, and the book does its best to explain as naturally as possible about death and grief, whilst also making the books content more accessible for younger readers. I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to process their own grief but mostly those with younger family members or friends that are struggling to process and understand, it can even be a great little read to process feelings later on in life as it has helped us, especially with making conversation and memorial moments much easier to process and actually learn to smile and remember the person without the overwhelming feeling of sadness.
This is a book that will remain on my shelf for a long time, as it’s the perfect tool for any family member, and unfortunately with death being a guarantee in life this is a tool that will always be needed, one hundred percent recommended.
I have been looking for a children’s story to explain death to my young child for a while now as last year we lost his grandfather, and it had been very difficult for him to understand what had happened, and it also made my grief more difficult as he would often ask after him or bring up memories that were difficult for me at the time.
Therefore, having this story to read through together and sit down and answer the accompanying questions really helped his understanding, and this opened a much larger line of communication between us, and my son was actually asking me questions days after w had read the book, meaning that it was sitting with him, and he was curious and wanting to learn more.
I additionally love the content at the end of the book such as the emotions chart and the three-step process when feelings and memories are overwhelming, and even as an adult I have taken this on board, and it really does help! Plus there are certain parts of the book aimed purely at adults and caregivers to explain how the book can help as well as providing any kind of definition that may be required.
The illustrations are perfect, and the book does its best to explain as naturally as possible about death and grief, whilst also making the books content more accessible for younger readers. I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to process their own grief but mostly those with younger family members or friends that are struggling to process and understand, it can even be a great little read to process feelings later on in life as it has helped us, especially with making conversation and memorial moments much easier to process and actually learn to smile and remember the person without the overwhelming feeling of sadness.
This is a book that will remain on my shelf for a long time, as it’s the perfect tool for any family member, and unfortunately with death being a guarantee in life this is a tool that will always be needed, one hundred percent recommended.
August 1, 2022
Helping a child process grief and even understand what death is can be difficult, especially if it is a shared loss. When Someone Dies by Andrea Dorn, MSW, is a guide that can be used with or for school age children. Written as a first person story, followed by exercises and information, this is useful and well thought out guidance for understanding and processing grief.
Whether mindfulness is an essential practice or a little understood philosophy, as it is presented in this book that includes questions within the story portion, it is a practical approach to the topic. The “feel better steps,” meditations, and mindfulness activities can easily be adapted or reframed if those are not practices that are embraced by your faith or belief system.
Occasionally I come across a book that I wish had been available earlier in my life, and this is one. When I was a teacher, explaining a death within our school community was a sudden and difficult thing to process with a third grade class when the only guidance given was for the adults to let the children see their emotion, so they would be better able to show theirs. While that was good advice, having a resource like When Someone Dies would have been even better. That said, this is a picture book that I highly recommend for parents, teachers, and other professionals who engage with children. An excellent resource.
This review refers to a finished copy I voluntarily received and read, courtesy of Smith Publicity. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.
Whether mindfulness is an essential practice or a little understood philosophy, as it is presented in this book that includes questions within the story portion, it is a practical approach to the topic. The “feel better steps,” meditations, and mindfulness activities can easily be adapted or reframed if those are not practices that are embraced by your faith or belief system.
Occasionally I come across a book that I wish had been available earlier in my life, and this is one. When I was a teacher, explaining a death within our school community was a sudden and difficult thing to process with a third grade class when the only guidance given was for the adults to let the children see their emotion, so they would be better able to show theirs. While that was good advice, having a resource like When Someone Dies would have been even better. That said, this is a picture book that I highly recommend for parents, teachers, and other professionals who engage with children. An excellent resource.
This review refers to a finished copy I voluntarily received and read, courtesy of Smith Publicity. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.
April 14, 2022
Normally a tragic and heartbreaking topic parents want to avoid, Dorn turns the discussion of death into a conversation easy for parents or teachers to navigate while having with children. Dorn has taken a challenging subject and made it easily accessible for young minds. It is a simple read with a critically important message that can be very serious and difficult to discuss and understand.
Using the book to help navigate grief is so important for little people who may be experiencing death or dying for the first time. It tells children that it is okay to feel these feelings, and that bad things can happen and it is okay to feel sad about them. It teaches coping skills and allows for parents to ask questions to open a dialogue between what their child might be internalizing.
This story had a light enough tone to tackle a heavy subject, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating difficult to navigate topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach an important life skill in a way that is appropriate for their age level. This would be an amazing addition for classroom libraries, counselling offices and more.
Using the book to help navigate grief is so important for little people who may be experiencing death or dying for the first time. It tells children that it is okay to feel these feelings, and that bad things can happen and it is okay to feel sad about them. It teaches coping skills and allows for parents to ask questions to open a dialogue between what their child might be internalizing.
This story had a light enough tone to tackle a heavy subject, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating difficult to navigate topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach an important life skill in a way that is appropriate for their age level. This would be an amazing addition for classroom libraries, counselling offices and more.
March 20, 2022
An excellent book to help children deal with grief and to also help anyone else who might be dealing with their own grief. I would say that this book would be great for an adult to read with a preschool age child and older and a great resource for parents and caregivers to help those small ones in their life. I love how the author has provided some open ended questions on each page to guide the person reading the book with a child how to help them more think about the things they are feeling. The definitions and children's understanding of death resource in the back of the book are another excellent part of it to help those that are trying to help children work their way through grief. I think this would be a great book to give any parent or guardian as a gift before there might be any death that happens so that they have the resource ahead of time. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
April 12, 2022
The author a licensed social worker deals with children suffering from different traumas. In a friendly intentional aspect, she brings with illustration and thoughtfulness how we can face grief. Children need to be able to face the grief with those that care about them. So for me this book is for both parent and child. One of the things I found most healing is that is asks important questions. One on death is it is ok to remember the one that died and to keep those memories alive. There is a healthy way in doing do. It also gives permission not to be on a time table. To go on your pace in recovery.
It also will bring to light the journey. The steps that you might be feeling. Anger, sadness, anxiety, all the emotions that get tied up in knots. How to unravel those knots and thrive.
A special thank you to PESI Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
It also will bring to light the journey. The steps that you might be feeling. Anger, sadness, anxiety, all the emotions that get tied up in knots. How to unravel those knots and thrive.
A special thank you to PESI Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
March 17, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.
When Someone Dies by Andrea Dorn is a book of immense value as it teaches young kids to deal with grief in a healthy way. Mourning loss can be a suffocating experience, more so for children as their still developing brain have a hard time processing the situation and expressing the overwhelming amount of emotions. It explores different types of reactions one might have, focusing on the fact that whatever the feelings are, they are valid and they demand attention. Each page contains interactive questions that might provoke the kid to open up. It also suggests couple of coping techniques and ushers the readers to add whatever works for them. A complete, calming book with proper, effective illustrations. Highly Recommended!
When Someone Dies by Andrea Dorn is a book of immense value as it teaches young kids to deal with grief in a healthy way. Mourning loss can be a suffocating experience, more so for children as their still developing brain have a hard time processing the situation and expressing the overwhelming amount of emotions. It explores different types of reactions one might have, focusing on the fact that whatever the feelings are, they are valid and they demand attention. Each page contains interactive questions that might provoke the kid to open up. It also suggests couple of coping techniques and ushers the readers to add whatever works for them. A complete, calming book with proper, effective illustrations. Highly Recommended!
March 22, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Dorn, MSW, and PESI Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
While I have taken courses on Dying, Death, and Bereavement, none of the textbooks that I have used before have been as straightforward and charming as this one. I believe that this is the perfect book for children and adults alike when it comes to teaching not only about death itself but also what comes afterward: grief.
I enjoyed how interactive this book was. I don't have any children myself, but I can perfectly picture each moment that a child would finish reading a section and reflect on the questions that were asked of them. However, while the drawings themselves were very cute and simple, the format was a bit off or out of place at times. But this just may be due to it being an eBook and not a pre-structured physical copy.
While I have taken courses on Dying, Death, and Bereavement, none of the textbooks that I have used before have been as straightforward and charming as this one. I believe that this is the perfect book for children and adults alike when it comes to teaching not only about death itself but also what comes afterward: grief.
I enjoyed how interactive this book was. I don't have any children myself, but I can perfectly picture each moment that a child would finish reading a section and reflect on the questions that were asked of them. However, while the drawings themselves were very cute and simple, the format was a bit off or out of place at times. But this just may be due to it being an eBook and not a pre-structured physical copy.
April 18, 2022
When Someone Dies by Andrea Dorn is a great resource and tool to help guide grownups and kids alike through the bereavement process after someone passes away. When Someone Dies is full of different types of bereavement (when someone moves away, etc.) and offers different options on how to help a child go through grief on their level. I loved the amount of practical information that was in the book and how you can adapt what is in the book to what your child is going through. I loved the different charts that explained bereavement and different emotions. I highly recommend this book for anyone who who works with children in any capacity or to someone who believes that it will benefit a child in their life. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.
March 18, 2022
As a parent who has two young children and also just lost someone close to them, I highly recommend this book. We were hard pressed to find really good books that helped our children in such a good age appropriate way. This book does that and more, I even found ways in this book to help my own grief. This book is written in such a way that children can openly express their feelings and begin to heal. I would recommend any parent, care giver, teacher, and school counselor to check out this book.
March 26, 2022
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a great resource to help prepare children for and answer questions about death. There are thoughtful questions and tips for kids and the adults guiding this reading. Illustrations are simple. My favorite was the picture sequence of the child planting a tree and tending to it til it grew big and eventually died. It also defines and answers words and questions such as "what is grief?" Well done!
This is a great resource to help prepare children for and answer questions about death. There are thoughtful questions and tips for kids and the adults guiding this reading. Illustrations are simple. My favorite was the picture sequence of the child planting a tree and tending to it til it grew big and eventually died. It also defines and answers words and questions such as "what is grief?" Well done!
November 28, 2024
This book talks about grief and it's meant to be for children. Sometimes even adults don't know how to cope with such feelings. So my personal opinion is that this book can help any human being returns to childhood and learn how to grief. The language is super easy so it's perfect for the young ones. My favourite part is that includes questions to help children and parents to actually talk about this feeling!
March 10, 2022
Perfect book to describe grief to kids. Not only does this book explain the feelings of grief in a way kids can understand, there are ways for the kids to deal with the difficult emotions they will have after.
The illustrations are simple and wonderful. The colors aren’t overly bright so to go along with a tough subject.
The illustrations are simple and wonderful. The colors aren’t overly bright so to go along with a tough subject.
March 22, 2022
My family and I have really enjoyed Andrea’s books and recommend them to others all the time. We have not had to deal with significant loss yet, but reading this book made me feel much more at ease about having a way to approach it when the time comes. My daughter recognizes and loves the main character and that will make this all the more accessible to her.
March 23, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for this book! I was looking for contemporary children's books and it's great to see books that help kids to process their emotions! It was so loving, I even teared up from time to time. The questions at the end of the pages were great to help engaging the kids. This would be a book I would definitely gift a new parent.
March 24, 2022
When Someone Dies is grief guide for children. It has wonderful illustrations and developmentally appropriate writing. The author is so thorough with mediation tips, caregiver tips and vocabulary list. I will add a copy to my counseling office library. Thanks PESI Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy of this title.
August 25, 2022
this is a great book to introduce grief to children, but it is also helpful to caregivers. the story is delivered interactively with relevant questions to every part of the story. there are also step-by-step approach from acknowledge the feelings until how to cope up with it. and there's note for the caregivers too
August 23, 2022
When Someone Dies by Andrea Dorn is a kid’s guide to dealing with grief. I liked that the book walked parents through questions to ask the child about how they were feeling. It opens up a dialogue between the child and adult to see how the child is dealing with the death of a loved one and offers basic ways to deal with grief. This book is non religious so if you’re looking for a book that doesn’t have a religious slant, this is the book for you. However, I felt that was a missed opportunity.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews