When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death (1996) begins with a table of contents, unusual for a picture book. (Most contemporary picture books don't have page numbers.) I view this as a way to set a solemn tone and to signal that this is not a narrative with a plot. However, the chapter headings do have a logical progression. The first topic is "What Does Alive Mean?" I like this beginning because many of us may not think much about this foundational concept; we take alive-ness for granted. After "Why Does Someone Die?" comes "What Does Dead Mean?" The following topics deal with feelings, friends, family, customs, and beliefs. I especially like the final topic: ways to remember the person who has passed away.
This book has a glossary that even includes "will: written directions for what is to become of someone's personal property after death." While death is emotionally devastating, Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown slip in its practical/legal ramifications by including this definition. Most of the illustrations are settings in which Brown's familiar dinosaur families have conversations. Each setting has a line of text in addition to speech bubbles for all the characters. Some scenes are heartbreaking, as when a youngster prays "Please, God, let Daddy be alive again. I want him back." I like this book's direct yet sensitive discussion of death, a difficult topic we could all use a little help with.
Mary Gustafson has My Friend Died: a worksheet to help process death and grief. Jennifer Dunn has My Memory Book. The Reading Social Worker has Grief and Loss Resource Letter Writing Activity.
