• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3

An honest and simple exploration of death and grief for kids 4 to 8. With playful illustrations by a therapist-turned-artist, Bird is Dead uses humor to make death a more approachable topic.

Bird is dead. Yesterday he was alive. How do the other birds know? On your back + feet up = dead. Some of the birds cry a little. And that’s alright. Crying together can be nice. When it’s time to give Bird a funeral, they reminisce about him, and then have tea with worms (or cake, if you don’t like worms).

In a straightforward but warm way, this picture book of collaged birds can facilitate discussions with kids about:

• What happens when someone dies
• How to understand their feelings of loss and grief
• How everyone can experience grief differently, and have a variety of emotions when something tragic happens

Sensitive and humorous, Bird is Dead provides kids and adults with a space to talk about death on their own terms.

Tiny Fisscher writes for all ages in all genres, and is the author of many books for children.

Tiny Fisscher's profile page

Herma Starreveld was originally a therapist and now works as a mixed media artist.

Herma Starreveld's profile page

“This plainspoken and candid lens on death is a conversation-starter.”
—Horn Book

"Unexpectedly tender... honoring the spectrum of grief and its varied manifestations"
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, STARRED