Reddit reviews The Heart and the Bottle

As a childrens librarian I recommend The Heart and the Bottle and Ida Always. These usually get good feedback from parents. Both are aimed at teaching children to feel their feelings, and not bottle grief.

You might want to check out the Mourner's Bill of Rights and remember that both you and Sadie have the right to grieve as you need to.

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