What Happens When a Loved One Dies?: Our First Talk About Death

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.

Dr. Jillian Roberts is a child psychologist, author, professor at the University of Victoria and mother of three children. Considered a go-to child psychology expert for journalists, Dr. Roberts is a regular contributor to HuffPost, Global News and CBC. She is the author of two bestselling and award-winning series of children’s books: the Just Enough series explains topics like birth and diversity to children ages 3–6, while the World Around Us series introduces kids ages 5–8 to issues like poverty and online safety. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Cindy Revell’s illustrations have been used on billboards and wine bottles, and in magazines and numerous children’s books all over North America. She has worked with clients like Disney, Penguin Putnam, the L.A. Times and Scholastic. Her illustration of Mallory and the Power Boy (Annick Press) was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award for children’s book illustration. She lives in Edmonton.