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Children's Nonfiction Death & Dying

What Happens When a Loved One Dies?

Our First Talk About Death

by (author) Jillian Roberts

illustrated by Cindy Revell

Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Initial publish date
Apr 2016
Category
Death & Dying, General, Emotions & Feelings
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781459809451
    Publish Date
    Apr 2016
    List Price
    $19.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459809475
    Publish Date
    Apr 2016
    List Price
    $11.99
  • Downloadable audio file

    ISBN
    9781459816640
    Publish Date
    Dec 2016
    List Price
    $7.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781459831858
    Publish Date
    Mar 2022
    List Price
    $14.95

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Where to buy it

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 3 to 5
  • Grade: p to k
  • Reading age: 3 to 5

Description

Whether children are experiencing grief and loss for the first time or simply curious, it can be difficult to know how to talk to them about death.

Using questions posed in a child’s voice and answers that start simply and become more in-depth, this book allows adults to guide the conversation to a natural and reassuring conclusion. Additional questions at the back of the book allow for further discussion.

Child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts designed the Just Enough series to empower parents/caregivers to start conversations with young ones about difficult or challenging subject matter. Other books in the series deal with birth, diversity, separation and divorce.

About the authors

Jillian Roberts' profile page

Cindy Revell planned on becoming an artist ever since her first taste of wax crayons during her childhood in Carrot River, a small town in Saskatchewan. After some very uncreative forays into the working world Cindy realized that she needed to get back to art and went to college receiving her diploma in Environmental Graphic Design. Cindy worked as a designer and illustrator eventually going on to become an award winning freelance illustrator.

Her illustrations have been used on billboards, wine bottles, books, magazines, calendars, furniture, packaging and numerous children's books all over North America. She was nominated in 2001 for a Governor General's award for children's book illustration (Mallory and the Power Boy). Some of her clients are: Adobe, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Better Homes and Gardens, Cornell University, Penguin Putnam, Annick Press, Orca Book Publishers and Scholastic.

As well as being an illustrator, she is an accomplished oil painter. Several years of regular oil painting classes, numerous international and provincial workshops and traveling to view and learn from the old masters as well as her design and illustration training have helped her develop as a traditional realist.

Cindy loves the work of the Flemish oil painters and Spanish artist, Luis Melendez, while her illustration has been inspired by folk, medieval, and eastern art. Her oil painting and illustration are vastly different from one another, the oil paintings tending to be simple and elegant while the illustrations are full of pattern and whimsy. The common element in her oil paintings and illustrations is her use of colour which is always rich and lush.

Cindy is represented by Deborah Wolfe Ltd. See her work at http://www.cindyrevell.com.

Cindy Revell's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Designed for adults to share with very young children, this gentle informational text begins with the part death plays in the natural world and goes on to answer the questions of children who lose grandparents...[The author] reassures young listeners that it's normal to be sad and offers ways to cope with grief...Revell's digitally painted illustrations support the text...consciously multicultural...A boon for families with young children."

Kirkus Reviews

"Death is explained in an age-appropriate way...The text, which has a story book quality, is soothing and, above all, is suitable to this age level. The book has extra questions at the end which can even reach a bit older audience in covering other related topics in the concept of death. In spite of what is a grim and serious topic, Revell’s watercolour illustrations are colorful, lively and child-like, with nature and the child’s surroundings playing a large role. Her drawings feature a variety of ethnicities and families which lends depth to this topic. Kudos to Dr. Jillian Roberts for tackling a serious issue in such an accessible way. The author brings with her years of experience in this area, as both a teacher and a child psychologist."

CM Magazine

"Gentle but straightforward...Revell’s smudgy, brightly colored illustrations provide a friendly, reassuring backdrop for the big questions being discussed."

Publishers Weekly

"This helpful book...employs simple, yet truthful, responses that either immediately satisfy or give children additional tools for articulating more specific questions...An excellent choice for preschools as well as libraries."

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