Reddit reviews Rabbityness (Child's Play Library)

You are living through something tragically incomprehensible to most adults. The silver lining is that children are different creatures entirely. They are wonder-ful; their imaginations and empathy, unmatched. While death seems impossible to explain, I hope you can take comfort in knowing there are beautiful ways of communicating this concept to children...

Here is a short list of outstanding picture books by writers and illustrators who’ve dedicated their artwork to this express purpose:

The Dandelion’s Tale by Kevin Sheehan & Rob Dunlavey

The Memory Box by Joanna Rowland & Thea Baker

The Heart and The Bottle by Oliver Jeffers

Rabbityness by Jo Empson

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst & Geoff Stevenson

I have an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults. Death and grieving in picture books is a prominent topic. I mention this only to perhaps add some validation to these suggestions. As an adult, I’ve found relief from picture books, and I know the power they have for children.

Sending you white light. Xo

I'm so sorry for your family's loss. This PDF has some good suggestions for talking to children about death by suicide (which is now the preferred language, rather than "committed suicide"). The few children's books out there that specifically discuss suicide are mostly focused on the death of a parent, but you might try My Uncle Keith Died or Someone I Love Died by Suicide. If this is the first time they have encountered the topic of death, you might start with a more general book like Lifetimes or Life is Like the Wind, which are inclusive of many different causes of death. Also love the book Rabbityness, which doesn't address death specifically but demonstrates how loved ones can carry on someone's legacy after they are gone.