One of the best
I checked out many books at the library that attempt to explain death to a 5 yr old. "When Dinosaurs Die" is the only one I felt covered everything I wanted my son to know and it did it in a positive way. It is the only book I ended up actually purchasing.
Good book for a difficult subject
Understanding death and discussing death is difficult. How do we approach this subject with children? A strength of this book is that it is not a story. The book is divided into topics giving answers and explanations to questions a child may ask. The opportunity to open the door for further discussion on any of the topics is there. The book is good for using in small sections in response to questions on a particular topic. Recommendation: read the book before using with children - then you are prepared for what is in each section, what you want to present, and you can anticipate follow-up questions/discussion.
In my work I deal with individuals learning to express their feelings. The section, Feelings about Death, is a good start for discussing the various feelings children may experience during their grief journey.
When Dinosaurs Die
This is an excellent book. I purchased it to read to my almost 4 year old grandson whose "grandpa" died 3 months ago. I particularly enjoyed the way the book starts out with - What Does Alive Mean? and then goes on to explain what it means and also what dead means. The artwork is great and non threatening. This has become a favorite.
Excellent resource
I want to put in a strong vote of confidence for this book, even though some parents have found it too much, too soon. My dad died when my oldest daughter was not quite three; my mom, when she was not quite four. This book was an enormous help in explaining to her what had happened, putting it in terms that were both straightforward and manageable. Kids want to know the facts, because the facts are usually less scary than what a kid can imagine. Also, let's face it, every kid is going to have major issues with death--don't we as adults? If kids ARE given too much information, they will let us know--by facial expression, or changing the subject, or saying they don't want to read the book. If that happens, of course any parent would take the book away. However, I found it a big help.
Helps children deal with death
My eight year old son struggled with the death of an uncle. We found this book at the local library. He read it and then recommended that I read it - "it will help you too, mom." We had to purchase our own copy and got one for our school's guidance office. Great way to remember a loved one and deal with the loss at the same time.
(28 reviews)
