A Story for Hippo: A Book about Loss by Simon Puttock, illustrated by Alison Bartlett. Scholastic. Monkey is young and rambunctious but his best friend is Hippo, the oldest and the wisest of all animals. Hippo tells her young friend stories every night and laughs at his jokes. One night she gently explains that she is very tired and is going to die. This story captures the loss of a friend and the slow process of healing.

Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles, illustrated by Peter Parnall. Little, Brown. Afraid that her beloved grandmother will die when the rugshe is working on is complete, a young Navajo girl undoes the day’s weaving at night—until her grandmother explains how death is a part of life.

Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant. Blue Sky/Scholastic. Lots of great art work illustrates this imaginative interpretation of Dog Heaven where dogs run as far as they like, play with angel children and sleep on clouds. Very comforting for a child dealing with the loss of a pet.

Everett Anderson’s Good-bye by Lucille Clifton, illustrated by Ann Grifalconi. Holt. Everett’s father has died and how he is going through the stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. He begins to understand his loss with the help of his mother.

Goodbye Mousie by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Jan Ormerod. Simon and Schuster. When I woke up this morning, I tickled Mousies tummy. But Mousie didn't wake up. At first the little boy thinks his pet is just tired. With the help of understanding parents, he comes to terms with the death of his pet and finds comfort in preparing the funeral. A sensitive and accurate portrait of a young child's feelings.

Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth by Douglas Wood, illustrated by P. J. Lynch. Candlewick. A grandfather uses a walk in the woods to explain prayer to his grandson. Later, after the grandfather’s death, the grandson’s solitary return to the woods and to pray brings peace.

Mama by Eleanor Schick. Cavendish. Wrapped in the arms of Louise, the new caregiver, a young girl begins to come to terms with the death of her mother as she recalls memories-both happy and sad-of her mom.

My Grandson Lew by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by William Pene Du Bois. HarperCollins. Mother and son find comfort in sharing memories about Lew’s grandfather. May facilitate your family’s sharing of tender feelings and memories.

One More Wednesday by Doray Malika. Greenwillow. In this story a child bakes cookies with his grandmother every Wednesday. When the grandmother passes away the child longs for one more Wednesday. This is a story of love, loss and understanding that will comfort a small child. It opens the way to talk about life, death and eternity.

Rudi’s Pond by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler. Clarion. A story of friendship between a young boy and girl that ends when the boy dies from a congenital heart condition. When Rudi dies the narrator and other children in school help build a pond to remember him by. A hummingbird feeder hangs by the pond and one day a special hummingbird comes to visit. Based on a true story.

Sweet, Sweet Memory by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Hyperion. The relatives are all gathered for grandpa's funeral-where, along with the food and the prayers, they will share their memories. But Sarah's memories are "stuck" in her throat and she is unable to tell her stories about grandpa-until an uncle helps her and she is able to share her "sweet memories".

The Long Silk Strand by Laura E. Williams, illustrated by Grayce Bochak. Boyds Mills. When her beloved grandmother dies, Yasuyo follows the long silk thread to the sky. There she learns how to let go of her grandmother by trusting the power of memories made strong with the threads from stories that will keep her grandmother’s spirit close. Tender, wise, comforting.

The New King by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Dial. When his father the kind is killed on a hunt, it is the Wise Woman who teaches young Prince Rakoto about death so he can take his place as the new king. A powerful, yet comforting tale from Madagascar.

The Old Dog by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by James Ransome. HarperCollins. Finding hiss old dog has died, a boy remembers all the good times they shared.

The Tenth Good Thing about Barney by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Erik Blevgad Simon and Schuster. A boy has to think of ten good things about Barney, his cat who has died. A touching story of a boy coming to terms with a beloved pet’s death.

Through the Mickle Woods by Valiska Gregory, illustrated by Barry Moser. Little, Brown. Saddened by the death of his wife, a grieving king follows her last request and travels through the great wood to a bear’s cave, where he hears three stories that possess a healing magic.

Too Far Away to Touch by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Catherine Stock. Clarion. Uncle Leonard helps Zoe face the prospect of his death from AIDS when he tells her he will be like the stars they saw in the planetarium—"too far away to touch, but close enough to see". Poignant, eloquent an comforting for anyone facing the death of a loved one.

When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Laurie Krasny and Marc Brown. Little, Brown. A child’s definitive guide to understanding death. This book explores the terminology and feelings surrounding death. Cartoon figures of friendly dinosaurs and the reassuring tone of book make this perfect for sharing with young children.

Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell. HarperCollins. A child wonders what happens to a balloon when it is let go. Whimsical, humorous and comforting.

Where Is Grandpa? by T. A. Barron, illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet. Philomel. A young boy wants to know where grandpa is. His dad explains in heaven…"any place where people who love each other have shared some time together". A comforting book about loss, with magnificent illustrations.