All the Dear Little Animals by Ulf Nilsson (2006) surprised me with its multidimensional treatment of death. One day, a girl named Esther finds a dead bumblebee and decides to give it a proper burial. The narrator, a younger boy, writes a poem for the graveside funeral. This leaves the children feeling so kind and unselfish, that they seek out other dead animals to respect with a brief, compassionate funeral. The size of their unfortunate subjects grow from bee to mouse to hamster. When they bury three fish found in the refrigerator, I wondered if they buried the family's dinner. As they fill one day with their endeavor, they become more sensitive to the sadness of death. At the end of the day, Esther finally cries for a rabbit they found dead in the road. The children provide a way for readers to address death that I found tender and wholesome. The illustrations by Eva Eriksson feel gentle and loving.
