Cynthia K. Ryman, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA
The past two years have been a time of deep introspection for me. When the pandemic began in 2020, around the world everyone was focused on survival. Many did not survive. As the pandemic raged globally, the United States was being torn apart by deep political divides that left many wondering about the survival of democracy in this country. In the midst of this chaos and confusion, the murder of George Floyd ignited international anger and activism in the Black Lives Matter movement. Now the added crisis of war in Ukraine leaves many wondering what this means for the future wellbeing of our global society. As I considered a book list for these times, I decided to share global books dealing with death and grief. Children are deeply impacted by societal and global events and experience intense feelings of uncertainty, grief and loss. Books open the door for discussions around life’s difficulties and the emotions that accompany. The goal of this WOW Dozen is to provide a means for recognizing and beginning to process emotions related to grief and uncertainty. This collection includes books by authors from Argentina, Denmark, Spain, Iran, Great Britain, Asia, India, Norway, Mexico, Canada and the Cree-Métis nation. Each book provides insights on how to begin to process emotions and find a path forward amidst uncertainty, grief and loss.
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My Father’s Arms Are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde & Øyvind Torseter (il.), Kari Dickson (trans.), 9781592701247, Enchanted Lion, 2013.
Illustrated with cut paper images pieced together, a boy whose mother recently died finds reassurance through asking questions and being held in his father’s arms as they share a nighttime walk in the snowy woods under the stars.
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Grandpa’s Stories: A Book of Remembering by Joseph Coelho & Allison Colpoys (il.), 9781419734984, Abrams Books, 2019.
A young girl and her aging grandfather share special times across each season. After his death, she records each one in a notebook he made for her.
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The Yellow Suitcase by Meera Sriram & Meera Sethi (il.), 9780999658413, Penny Candy, 2019.
Asha travels to India for her grandmother’s funeral, struggles dealing with her grief and finds consolation by filling her yellow suitcase with a quilt made of her grandmother’s saris and special memories to bring home.
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A Map into the World by Kao Kalia Yang & Seo Kim (il.), 9781541538368, Carolrhoda, 2019.
After the death of an elderly neighbor’s wife, a young Hmong girl creates a chalk drawing illustrating beautiful images of their neighborhood life in his driveway as a gift and “a map back into the world.”
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Birdsong by Julie Flett, 9781771644730, Greystone Kids, 2019.
An Indigenous girl, Katherena, moves to the country and forms a special bond with an elderly neighbor though their “re-creative” love of nature in art.
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Grandmother’s Visit by Betty Quan & Carmen Mok (il.), 9781554989546, Groundwood, 2018.
A girl describes her relationship with her grandmother and the Chinese tradition of turning on the house lights after her grandmother’s death, so her grandmother can find her way back to say good-bye and leave a reminder of her presence and love.
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Some Days by Maria Wernicke, Lawrence Schimel (trans.), 9781542022514, Amazon Crossing Kids, 2020.
A mother and daughter share an intimate conversation on discovering a figurative passageway through pain and loss into a place of hope.
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The Sour Cherry Tree by Naseem Hrab & Nahid Kazemi (il.), 9781771474146, Owlkids, 2021.
After the death of her Iranian grandfather, a girl goes with her mother to her grandfather’s house and is comforted by the memories of the special ways he expressed his love.
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The Funeral by Matt James, 9781554989089, Groundwood, 2018.
A young girl is torn between sadness from the death of her uncle and the joy of sharing the day of his funeral with her beloved cousin.
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All Around Us by Xelena Gonzalez & Adriana M. Garcia (il.), 9781941026762, Cinco Puntos, 2017.
In keeping with the beliefs of their ancestors, a grandfather points out to his granddaughter how circles are seen all around them in the world and how birth and death are also a circle.
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Why Do We Cry? by Fran Pintadera & Ana Sender (il.), Mihaila Petricic (trans.), 9781525304774, Kids Can, 2020.
A boy asks his mother why we cry. She answers his question with sensitive, truthful and nuanced descriptions of the types of experiences that cause people to cry.
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Cry Heart, but Never Break by Glenn Ringtved & Charlotte Pardi (il.), Robert Moulthrop (trans.), 9781592701872, Enchanted Lion, 2016.
When he comes to take their grandmother, Death is detained by four children. He tells them an allegorical story of two brothers, Sorrow and Grief, who marry two sisters, Joy and Delight, who find they cannot live without each other.
WOW Dozen features a list of 12 global books for children and adolescents around a theme, topic, issue or personal favorites. Each Dozen consists of ten newly-published titles with two older “must have” books. Please share or recommend additional books that fit the theme in the comments section or on social media using #WOWDozen. Use the printer icon in the upper left corner of this post to print or save this list as a PDF.
- Themes: A Map Into the World, Adriana Garcia, All Around Us, Allison Colpoys, Ana Sender, Betty Quan, Birdsong, Carmen Mok, Charlotte Pardi, Cry Heart But Never Break, Cynthia Ryan, Fran Pintadera, Glenn Ringtved, Grandmother's Visit, Grandpa's Stories, Joseph Coelho, Julie Flett, Kao Kalia Yang, Kari Dickson, Lawrence Schimel, Maria Wernicke, Matt James, Meera Sethi, Meera Sriram, Mihaila Petricic, My Father's Arms Are a Boat, Nahid Kazemi, Naseem Hrab, Øyvind Torseter, Robert Moulthrop, Seo Kim, Some Days, Stein Erik Lunde, The Funeral, The Sour Cherry Tree, The Yellow Suitcase, Why Do We Cry?, Xelena Gonzáles
- Descriptors: WOW Dozen