A Child's View: Books Can Help

BY: Dominique Butler, MSSA, LISW
CATEGORY: Grief and Loss
PUBLICATION: About Grief


​Reading books is a great way to learn new ways to deal with big feelings of grief. Some books talk about feelings we may experience when a loved one dies. Other books teach us cool ways to remember our loved one by creating something new in their memory. The book, Chester Raccoon and The Acorn Full of Memories, written by Audrey Penn shares Chester Raccoon's feelings about the death of his friend Skiddil Squirrel and how he creates new memories to cope with his feelings.

In this touching story Chester Raccoon has a hard time understanding that his good friend Skiddil Squirrel had an accident and will never return. Mrs. Raccoon explains to Chester that Skiddil Squirrel has died and suggests that creating memories of our loved one is a good way to deal with our "big" feelings of grief. He likes the idea of creating new ways to keep his friend's memory alive in his heart. Chester and his friends gather together and find joy in honoring their deceased friend Skiddil Squirrel. Reading this delightful tale to a child of any age will provide them with a sense of comfort after a death and encourage them to share and make new memories to honor their loved one.  

We Can Help

Speak with the referral team by contacting us seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Any first visit and admission can be made the first day.

Northern Ohio's Hospice of Choice

More than 1,000 Hospice of the Western Reserve employees and 3,000 volunteers live and work side-by-side in the same neighborhoods with our patients and families. We are privileged to have cared for more than 100,000 Northern Ohioans since our inception.