Social Themes : Death Grief & Bereavement – Owlbooks.dk

Six Weeks

Owl Books — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 22:00:26 +0000

Also available in audiobook:

The hotly anticipated new book from award-winning writer Matt Goodfellow, author of bestselling The Final Year. Meet Alfie Piper, embarking on a summer he’ll never forget …

Alfie Piper has six weeks of summer – and nothing left to lose.

Since his mum died, Alfie’s world has unravelled. The silence between him and his stepdad roars louder than ever.

So he does the only thing that makes sense: grabs his bike, and rides.

In these long summer days, can Alfie rebuild what was broken?

Compulsively readable and beautifully-written, this is an unforgettable story of love and loss, family and hope. From Matt Goodfellow, winner of the CLiPPA Award – with breathtaking illustrations from Joe Todd-Stanton.

How to Make Friends with the Dark

Owl Books — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:07:59 +0000

Also available in audiobook:

The story of one girl’s quest for clarity and forgiveness after an awful, universe-gone-mad-mistake. From the internationally bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

‘Breathtaking and heartbreaking, and I loved it with all my heart.’ Jennifer Niven

I thought I was done with death, at least a little bit, but death wasn’t done with me.

It’s always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger’s mother dies. Now it’s Tiger, alone.

And she must learn to make friends with the dark.

‘A rare and powerful novel…dives deep into the heart of grief and healing with honesty, empathy, and grace.’ Karen M. McManus

‘Magnificent. A beautiful, heartbreaking alleluia to survival.’ Brendan Kiely

I wrote How to Make Friends With the Dark because I miss my mother and my sister. They have both been gone for several years, but everyday is still waking up without them and trying to go on. Every day is a new process of learning grief and its mysteries, the way the smell of a face cream can bring back years-old memories. The way a scene in a television show can bring back the sound of my sister’s laughter, a memory that makes me happy and sad at the same time.

Once, a friend who lost her mother when she was very young said she’d wished her mother had left her a letter telling her how to live without her, because years and years later, she still did not know how.

I wrote How to Make Friends With the Dark as a kind of how-to about death and grief, a manual of the pain that can leave you breathless, a primer on the love that lives in your heart, as much as you might be hurting. And I wrote this book as a letter to kids like Thaddeus and Sarah and Len, kids without parents, kids just trying to survive in a world that sometimes doesn’t seem to have room for them.

The Secret Sunshine Project

Owl Books — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:05:25 +0000

Also available in audiobook:

A heart-warming story of kindness, courage and love in all its forms from the award-winning author of Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow. Perfect for 9+ readers and fans of Elle McNicoll, Lisa Thompson and Onjali Rauf.

‘A huge, shining kaleidoscope of joy’– L.D. Lapinski, author of THE STRANGEWORLDS TRAVEL AGENCY

Bea’s family are happy. Like, really happy. Like, kind of gross but also cute happy. So when they visit London Pride together and have the ultimate day out, Bea doesn’t think her family could possibly get any happier. But a year later, a grey cloud is following Bea’s family around. Dad has passed away, and without him around they have no choice but to pack their bags and move to the countryside to live with Gran.

With Bea’s big sister, Riley, taking the news hard, Bea will do anything to cheer her up. So with the help of new friends, The Secret Sunshine Project is formed – Bea’s plan to bring Pride to the countryside and a smile back to Riley’s face. There’s just one teeny tiny problem – the village mayor. A grumpy old woman who’s on a mission to rain on Bea’s parade . . .

Where Did She Go?

Owl Books — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:26:26 +0000

A heartfelt story to help young children understand loss, written and illustrated with warmth and sensitivity.

The perfect book for opening up honest conversations with young children about grief and death, whether they have lost a loved one, or are simply curious and at the age of asking questions.

When one little girl’s grandma is nowhere to be seen, and everyone keeps saying how sorry they are that the family have lost her, she makes it her special task to find Grandma and cheer everyone up.

But Grandma’s not under the sofa or behind the flower patch, so where has she really gone?

Written with gentle humour and a lightness of touch by grief expert and comedian Cariad Lloyd, and illustrated by Tom Percival, creator of the bestselling Big Bright Feelings series.

An accessible approach and comforting message of remembrance and love makes this the ideal book to support children as they navigate and cope with grief.

All the Blues in the Sky

Owl Books — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:05:48 +0000

	Newbery Medal Winner

Also available in audiobook:

# 1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor author Renee Watson explores friendship, loss, and life with grief in this poignant novel in verse and vignettes.

Sage’s thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost.

In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn’t predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life-and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.

In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is a story of a girl’s journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself.

To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.

First Conversations : Goodbye

Owl Books — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:46:32 +0000

Based on the research that race, gender, death, and other important topics should be discussed with toddlers on up, this read-aloud board book series offers adults the opportunity to begin important conversations with young children in an informed, safe, and supported way.

A picture book edition of the board book about grief, offering adults the opportunity to begin important conversations with young children in an informed, safe, and supported way.

Developed by experts in the fields of early childhood and activism against injustice, this topic-driven picture book offers clear, concrete language and compelling imagery to introduce the concept of grief. This book aims to normalize the topic of death by discussing what it means and how it feels to experience loss. It centers around several questions that arise about grief and honest, simple ways to answer them.

While young children are avid observers and questioners of their world, adults often shut down or postpone conversations on complicated topics because it’s hard to know where to begin. Research shows that talking about tough issues from the age of two not only helps children understand what they see, but also increases self-awareness, self-esteem, and allows them to recognize and confront things that are unfair, like discrimination and prejudice.

These books offer a supportive approach that considers both the child and the adult. Stunning art accompanies the simple and interactive text, and the backmatter offers additional resources and ideas for extending this discussion.

The Invisible Parade

Owl Books — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:46:38 +0000

It’s time to join the party! Adventure awaits readers of all ages on Día de Muertos in this stunningly original and lushly illustrated tour de force about family, love, and overcoming grief from #1 bestselling superstar Leigh Bardugo and World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award-winner John Picacio. Everyone in the neighborhood was getting ready for the party. Everyone knew somebody on the guest list.

. . .

This was the day the dead returned. There’s a party tonight, but Cala doesn’t want to go. While her family prepares for the celebration, Cala grieves her grandfather and tries to pretend she’s not afraid.

But when she is separated from her family at the cemetery, Cala encounters four mysterious riders who will show her she is actually quite brave after all. Brimming with magic and humor, The Invisible Parade is the first picture-book collaboration between award-winner John Picacio and New York Times bestselling Leigh Bardugo. Set on the night of Día de Muertos, Cala’s story is one of love, loss, and the courage that can be found in unexpected places.

Fox : A Circle of Life Story

Owl Books — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:24:50 +0000

WINNER of the 2023 AAAS/Subaru SB&F prize for Excellence in Science Books

In the frost-covered forest of early spring, fox is on a mission to find food for her three cubs. As they grow, she teaches them how to survive in the wild. Until one day, fox dies.

Her body goes back to earth and grass and air, nourishing the world around her and bringing the forest to life. Death is not just an end, it’s also a beginning. Bringing together an evocative non-fiction narrative with breathtaking illustrations, Fox is a story that tackles the big question “What happens when we die?” and shows children that death is a natural process that leads to new life, and is no less important and awe-inspiring than any other part of our existence.

PRAISE FOR MOTH: AN EVOLUTION STORY

‘A rare pleasure … a true story of adaptation and hope.‘ – Wall Street Journal

‘This is the perfect book for talking to children about death‘ – The Guardian

Drawn Onward

Owl Books — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 07:13:17 +0000

In this enthralling and emotional palindrome picture book by Daniel Nayeri and Matt Rockefeller, a young boy grieving the loss of his mother embarks on a lushly fantastical adventure that illuminates what remains when our loved ones are gone.

All alone
He was not so brave…
His heart needed to know
The answer.

In this lyrical, heartfelt story, a young boy who’s lost all hope braves the dark forest to ask, “Mom, were you glad you were Mom?” Gorgeously illustrated, Drawn Onward gently guides readers through the depths of grief and provides comfort and hope to those who seek answers when it feels like all is lost.

PRAISE FOR DRAWN ONWARD:
An Indie Next Pick
A Junior Library Guild Selection
An NPR Best Books of the Year pick
A Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2024

Grandpa and the Kingfisher

Owl Books — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 10:35:36 +0000

Life-affirming and lyrical, this beautiful picture book celebrates the awesome power of nature, while gently introducing young children to the concept of life and death. Over the course of a year, a young child and their dog watch kingfishers by the river with Grandpa. As spring turns to summer and autumn to winter, the kingfishers raise a family, while Grandpa teaches his grandchild about the power of nature and the circle of life.

Written in memory of her father, whose favourite bird was the kingfisher, Anna Wilson takes readers on a lyrical journey though a year in the life of a kingfisher family. Stunning illustrations by Sarah Massini bring the riverbank to life in all its glory, while the powerful intergenerational bond between grandparent and grandchild shows that just as spring always follows winter, hope will always return if you know where to look for it. A positive story about life, death, and being a part of the natural world.