Picture Books About Losing a Grandparent: Gentle Reads to Help a Child Grieve

Losing a grandparent is often a child's first experience of grief, and it can be hard to find the words. A gentle picture book gives you a way in — a shared story that says what's difficult to say out loud, and reminds a child that love doesn't simply disappear. Here are a few tender reads that help.

Start here: The Ladybug Who Lived on a Four Leaf Clover

After a little girl named Emily loses her grandmother, a ladybug named Sheila appears — the very name her grandmother had. Little by little, Emily understands that her grandmother has come back to stay close to her. The Ladybug Who Lived on a Four Leaf Clover is a hopeful, comforting story about love that endures, and a natural first conversation about loss. Written by Emily and Haley Franke; ages 4–8.

More gentle books about grief and remembering

A few other titles families and counselors reach for: The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, about the unbreakable connection between people who love each other; Ida, Always by Caron Levis, a moving story of friendship and loss; and The Memory Box by Joanna Rowland, which helps children hold on to memories of someone they love.

How to read these with a grieving child

Read slowly, and let the questions come in their own time. It's okay to pause, to cry, and to return to the same book again and again — repetition is how young children make sense of big feelings. Name what you notice together, and let the story do some of the talking.

AcuteByDesign publishes picture books about the tender parts of childhood — belonging, kindness, and love that stays.

You can find The Ladybug Who Lived on a Four Leaf Clover and more at acutebydesign.com.