The Invisible String, Patrice Karst

This is a story to help children understand and believe that they can always be connected to people they love and care about even if we aren’t standing next to each other. It is helpful with separation anxiety and other day to day activities that separate us like school, work and hospital. 

Worries are Like Clouds, Shona Innes

This book offers a gentle and direct approach to common emotions that children may experience. The story compares worries to weather changes, some days are wonderful and some days are  tough.

Life is Like the Wind, Shona Innes

This book has been written by a clinical child psychologist and encourages children to share and discuss difficult emotions and feelings with family and friends.

The Memory Garden Series

The Memory Garden Series are children's story books that aim to help emotionally prepare children of different ages through their experience of grief and loss.

The books can be used in counselling around anticipatory grief and bereavement to prevent and reduce the risk of complicated grief reactions.

Hazel's Story: Hazel's big sister Iris is terminally ill. This is a story about Hazel and how she copes with Iris' illness. Hazel experiences many of the common feelings siblings go through when they have a brother or sister who is sick. Along with Hazel we learn how to manage feelings of grief and sadness and how we can keep our happy memories close to us.

Iris' Story: Iris is a 9 year old girl who enjoys playing soccer and spending time with her family. Iris is also terminally ill. In this book we learn about how Iris copes with being sick and how she deals with feelings of sadness and loss. We also learn how Iris' family will keep the memory of her with them forever.

Leo's Story: Leo is a 12 year old boy whose little sister Iris is sick. When Leo begins to realise that Iris is not going to get better, he experiences a range of different emotions. In this book we learn that it can be better to express our emotions, even the difficult ones like anger, sadness and grief.

The Next Place, Warren Hanson

This story talks about entering the Next Place after you have died. In the Next Place, you don’t need any of your possessions because you take these with the memories you have made, the laughter you have had and the love given to you by the people you know.

Badger's Parting Gifts, Susan Varley

This book talks about how Badger's friends are sad when he dies but together, they all remember and treasure the memories he has left them. 

Beginnings and Endings with Lifetimes in Between, Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen

This book tells the story of life, from the time we are born, in between and how life ends when we die. The story used uses colourful child friendly illustrations of people, animals and nature to help deliver key messages and engage children.

What's Dead Mean?, Doris Zagdanski

This book is written in question-answer style. It provides truthful answers about what death means. Parents are strongly encouraged read the book before reading with a child to make sure that it is appropriate.

When Someone Very Special Dies, Marge Heegaard

This workbook is designed to help children learn about their feelings associated with death. Children are given the opportunity to illustrate and personalise their experience of loss through art. This book requires supervision of a parent or professional.

When Someone Has a Very Serious Illness, Marge Heegaard

This workbook is designed to help children understand their feelings about serious illness. It may be helpful to use as a classroom activity or as a one-on-one activity with a child.

Beyond the Rainbow: A Workbook for Children in the Advanced Stages of a Very Serious Illness, Marge Eaton Heegaard

Beyond the Rainbow is an interactive art workbook for children to help them express their feelings that may be associated with a serious illness.

Tear Soup, Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen

A story about a woman who makes Tear Soup after she experiences a terrible loss. As the soup is created by adding different ingredients, the messages within the book offer helpful information about grief and loss for both children and adults.

Time for Music

Time for Music is a fun and interactive Music CD that has a collection of children's favourite songs to be enjoyed by your child and family. The songs are performed by registered music therapists in consultation with physiotherapists and occupational therapists to promote movement, play and rest through participation. 

Quietly

Quietly Is a CD recording of improvised music played on the Reverie Harp. The soothing sounds may be played for babies, children, young people and other family members to create a sense of peace, quiet and tranquility.