Good Books To Share About Death, Empathy, and Grief With Kids UPDATED

 Good Books To Share About Death, 

Empathy, and Grief With Kids

Talk:
We all go through some sort of grief or loss at one time or another in our lives. It could be loss of a close friend, family member, or even loss of a pet!  My collection of books and a couple of online resources should help you discuss with your children all about empathy,grief, death, and coping with their loss. 


 READ: Books
 

The Rabbit Listened By Cori Doerrfeld (empathy and grief)
The Goodbye Book By Todd Parr (struggling with a goodbye)
I'll Always Love You By Hans Wilhelm (loss of a dog)
Stay: A Girl, A Dog and A Bucket List By Kate Klise (loss of a
dog)
Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You By Nancy Tillman (loss of a parent)
The Invisible String By Patrice Karst (loss of a loved one)
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs By Tomie

dePaola (loss of a grandparent)
Cat Heaven By Cynthia Rylant (loss of a cat)

Dog Heaven By Cynthia Rylant (loss of a dog)
Ida, Always By Caron Levis (Terminal Illness)
I Miss You: A First Look At Death By Pat Thomas (describes reasons for death, what a funeral is, and the difficult feelings and emotions of saying goodbye)
The Memory Box: A book About Grief By Joanna Rowland ( loss of a loved one)
Holes in the Sky By Patricia Polacco- Beautiful and touching story of Trisha and her grandmother Babushka and after she passes away Trisha feel there will be no other grandmother like hers. But little does she know her town and new friend Stewart has a grandmother that makes her see her own grandmother in her. Also discusses that stars are the holes in the sky are the ways our loved ones who have passed watch us from Heaven! 

Someone I Loved Died By Christine Harder Tangvald (loss of a loved one)

God Gave Us Heaven By Lisa T Bergren (loss of a loved one)
 The Invisible Boy By Trudy Ludwig ( empathy)
Everyone By Chris Silas Neal (empathy) 
In Your Shoes: A Story of Empathy By Kristin Johnson (empathy)

Coming Soon Oct.2018 
I Am Human: A Book About Empathy By Susan Verde (empathy)

Wanting more books about being Kind then  check out my post about Kindness

Online Resources:

Grief support for Loss of a Pet ( Parent Resources for sharing with kids)
 

Helping Kids with Grief resources from Sesame Street  in Communities

Author Spotlight - Alison Murray

Favorite Author Spotlight- Alison Murray

Today's Spotlight Author is another of my favorite ones to share with little ones! Many of her books are perfect for toddlers and preschool age and fun to share at storytime!

 Alison Murray now mainly work as an illustrator and author of picture books but still dabbles with interactive media and web design. She Lives in Scotland with her family. 


READ Books:
Apple Pie ABC
Hickory Dickory Dog
The House That Zack Built
Dino Duckling
Hare and Tortoise
One, Two, That's My Shoe 
Little Mouse 
Princess Penelope and the Runaway Kitten  

Exciting News:

A New Book Coming March 2019
The Little Green Hen By Alison Murray






Book Activities direct from Alison Murray

Cookies Theme

Cookies Theme 

BOOKS TO READ & SHARE:


If You Give a Mouse a Cookie By Laura Numeroff
The Cow Who Loves Cookies By Karma Wilson
The Duckling Gets A Cookie By Mo Willems
Mr. Cookie Baker By Monica Wellington 
Who Stole The Cookies From the Cookie Jar By Jane  Manning
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies By Jane Yolen ( Boardbook)
May I Please Have a Cookie By Jennifer Morris 
The Doorbell Rang By Pat Hutchins
Milk and Cookies By Frank Asch
Who Ate All The Cookie Dough By Karen Beaumont
Fortune Cookie Fortunes By Grace Lin
Henry Helps Make Cookies By Beth Bracken 

If you are wanting Gingerbread or Gingerbread Cookies click on the word gingerbread to follow a link to that post too!

Fun Fact: Did you now that October 1st is National Cookie Day!

SONGS/ RHYMES:

Who Stole the Cookies?

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
Who, me? Yes, you!
Couldn't be! Then who?
(child's name) stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
Who, me? Yes, you!
Couldn't be! Then who?
Note: Continue for as many children as you want
Credit Everything Preschool 

Five Little Cookies

Five little cookies With frosting galore.
(Child's Name) ate the red one, then there were four.
Four little cookies, Two and two you see
(Child's Name) ate the green one, then there were three.
Three little cookies But before I knew,
(Child's Name) ate the white one, then there were two.
Two little cookies, Oh what fun,
(Child's Name) ate the brown one, then there was one
Credit Everything Preschool  

 At the Bakery (Tune: The Mulberry Bush)
What will you buy at the bakery, The bakery, the bakery? What will you buy at the bakery, So early in the morning?
I'd like to buy some bread today, Bread today, bread today. I'd like to buy some bread today, So early in the morning.
Additional verses: cookies, muffins, donuts, pies, cupcakes, cakes
Credit Kidssoup.com

 Cookie Counting Song
Ten Little Indians Tune

Sing this song with the children, having them hold up that many fingers as they sing!

1 little, 2 little 3 little cookies.

4 little, 5 little, 6 little cookies.

7 little, 8 little, 9 little cookies.

10 Little Cookies I baked for you!

Now try singing backwards! Hold up 10 fingers and put one

down with each!

EXTENSION:

In advance, make 10 paper or felt cookies (any color you want!). Print the numbers 1-10 on them. As you sing the above song, place the cookie with the corresponding number on the floor in front of you. When done, sing it backwards removing cookies as you go!

Inspired by Preschool Plan it (modified by storybook stephanie) 

PLAY/LEARN/EXPLORE

Paper Plate Cookie

Cookie Themed Printables from Kidsparkz

Cookie Club Theme Pack By Preschool Plan It 

Cupcake Liner Cookies  

Cookie Monster Printables

Math and Literacy Cookie Download FREE from TPT 

Simple and Fun Cookie Ideas for Preschoolers from Mom on the Move blog (cookie cutter prints, matching, frosting) 

Cookie Playdough Mats- use pom pom, real chocolate chips or playdough from Prekinders

Bees and Honey Bees Themes

 

 BEE & HONEYBEE THEME for (Pre-Up)

August 18 (Third

Saturday)

National Honey Bee Day!

 TALK:

What's the Buzz?!

Why today is National Honey Bee Day! Let's celebrate and show our appreciation for the



hard working Honey Bee, who works so hard to produce the liquid sugary treat, that is loved so much by bees and humans.

Speaking of hard working, did you know that many bees have to travel 55,000 miles to produce just one pound of honey? To get that pound of honey, those bees need to gather nectar from two million flowers. A single bee will gather just a1/2 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. After all of this hard work, honey bees deserve this special day of recognition.

This day was first established in 2009 for beekeepers, as a way to promote honey and to encourage educational programs. But, this is too special a day to limit to the beekeepers. We appreciate hard working honey bees, too. After all, they produce honey that we enjoy, and they are vital to the pollination of a wide array of our fruits and vegetables. Now, that's certainly something to appreciate! 

Credit:http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/August/national-honey-bee-day.htm

READ& SHARE:
Little Bea By Daniel Roode 

Bee: A Peek through Book By Britta Techentrup (Pre-Gr1)

Explore My World: Honeybees By Jill Esbaum ( Pre-Up)

Bee and Me By Elle McGuiness (Board Book Ages 2 and Up)

The Honeybee By Kirsten Hall (Pre-Up) 
Bear and Bee By Sergio Ruzzier 
Buzzz said the Bee By Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Curious George A Home For Honeybees By H.A. Rey Leveled Reader (Pre-Up)

Buzz, Bee ( National Geographic Reader) By Jennifer Szymanski (Pre and Up)

Berenstain Bears and the Big Honey Hunt By Stan Berenstain (Pre and Up) 

The Honeybee Man By Lela Nargi (Pre and Up)

The Very Greedy Bee By Steve Smallman

The Beeman By Laurie Krebs  (K and Up)

Buzzy The BumbleBee By  Brennan Nelson

Little Bee By Edward Gibbs

Bumble Bee By Margaret Wise Brown
These Bees Count By Allison Formento

The Honeybee and the Robber By Eric Carle 
 Buzz Buzz Busy Bees By Dawn Bentley
Horsefly and Honeybee By Randy Cecil
 Are You a Bee? By Judy Allen
What If There Where No Bees? By Suzanne Slade 
Look Inside a Beehive By Megan Cooley Peterson

RHYMES/SONGS: 

Here is the Beehive Rhyme
 Here is a beehive. Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Soon they come creeping out of the hive (have one bee peek out)
1-2-3-4-5! BUZZ! (bring each finger out as you count)
(make your bees fly all around the hive)
Credit Sunflower Storytime & Below Bees and Hive Printables
Printable Hive
Printable Bees 

 I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee, Won't my mamma be so proud of me
I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee
Ouch! That bumblebee stung me!
I'm smashing up my baby bumblebee, Won't my mamma be so proud of me
I'm smashing up my baby bumble bee
Yuck! It's all over me!
Credit Everything Preschool 

Buzzing Bees

Bees, Bees, Bees, Bees
Buzzing in bushes and buzzing in trees

Buzzing around, wherever they please
There's nothing so sweet
As sweet as a honey bee. 

Credit Everything Preschool

 

Hunting Bugs

A-hunting we will go
A -hunting we will go
We'll catch a Bee!
and put it in a box(loudly)and then we'll let it go! 

Note: Tell your children to not really catch a Bee or It could sting them
Credit Everything Preschool

Bee Hive

This is my bee hive put hands together
(loud) But where are the bees?
Hidden inside where nobody sees
One, two, three, four, five, (raising up fingers)
There they go, off to the trees(point)

Credit Everything Preschool 

A Bee is on Your Nose
source: The Storytime Spot
A bee is on your nose.
A bee is on your nose.
Hi ho just watch me blow
A bee is on your nose.
(Repeat the song using different body parts.)
Credit MissMegsstorytime.com

 
 CRAFT/EXPLORE/LEARN:

B is for Bumblebee Craft and Printables From ABC's to Acts

Learning about bees- making a honeycomb, eating honeycomb cereal, transferring nectar (yellow water) representing bee and using a baster to transfer nectar to an ice cube tray, also made honey cornbread.