Navigating grief and loss can be extremely hard. Navigating the loss of your baby is life shattering. Not only have I found writing a form of therapy but reading others words has been very beneficial too. On this page you will find baby loss and grief book recommendations that are personally recommended by myself. They are books which I have read myself, shared with my children or my husband has read.
All content is my own thoughts, feelings, beliefs and experience from my own journey of baby loss. This post may contain affiliate links, please see the Copyright and Disclosures page for more information.
Saying Goodbye by Zoe Clark-Coates
Losing a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, leaves so many parents lost in grief and full of unanswered questions.
Zoë Clark-Coates, and her husband Andy, have personally faced the loss of five babies. Out of their experiences came the charity The Mariposa Trust (more often known by its leading division Saying Goodbye), offering support to thousands of grieving parents and relatives around the world each week
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This book was given to me by my Bereavement Midwife. Saying Goodbye tells Zoe’s personal story of baby loss and then goes into a 90 day survival guide. What I like about this book is that you don’t need to sit and read it all. You can dip in and out of it as you need to which I found very helpful in the early days of losing Poppy. I highly recommend this book.
From Father to Father by Emily R Long.
This book is a simple book of letters written for you, a grieving loss dad, from other loss dads who are living and surviving after the death of their precious child. In the pages of this book, fathers from around the world share letters of love from their hearts to yours with the hope that, maybe, in the darkest, loneliest hours of grief, you will find a little bit of comfort in the words of another father who has been where you are now. Too often a father’s grief and experience of loss is overshadowed or unacknowledged after the death of their children. This book offers acknowledgement and gives voice to the experience of fathers grieving their children. The fathers speaking through these pages offer support and recognition to let you know that you are not alone. They are here with you.
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This book was also given to us by our bereavement midwife. It contains letters from fathers who have experienced baby loss. These letters tell their stories from the fathers point of view.
Ask Me His Name by Elle Wright
Ask Me His Name is a moving account of Elle’s pregnancy, Teddy’s life, and what happens when a mother leaves hospital with empty arms. In the UK, 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss, but conversations about the heartbreakingly frequent experience are few and far between. In this honest and hopeful exploration of mothering, Elle shows us how she navigated a parenthood no one had prepared her for.
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I found this book incredibly moving and found myself unable to put it down. Reading about Elle’s son Teddy broke my heart and seeing her own grief as well as her husband and families unfold. I could relate to this so much.
The Dragonfly Story by Kelly Owen.
This beautifully illustrated story is an adaptation of the fable of the transformation of the dragonfly. This fable has been long used to explain death and the hope of heaven. This version opens with two siblings talking about missing their sister and wondering where she had gone now that she had died. The mother then tells them the dragonfly story. Using the experience of the death of her eldest child, the author, Kelly Owen, has retold the fable in simple terms to encourage children and families to talk about death and what happens when we die. The book does not shy away from the subject of death, but aims to explain it in a real and loving way.
The story starts in the family home as the siblings feel sad and confused about their sister’s death, so the parents take them to the park where they discover a dragonfly. The dragonfly story is then told and they reflect on how that might explain their loss. It is a useful book to discuss death when you have experienced a loss in the family. The book is ideal for people of all beliefs and none. The Dragonfly Story offers hope and comfort to the bereaved.
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A beautiful story for children explaining the idea of heaven. My 9, 7 and 4 year old really enjoyed listening to this story and in their own ways took what they needed from this book. This was gifted to us by another angel family along with a beautiful teddy bear.
No Matter What by Debi Gliori.
‘I’m a grim and grumpy little Small and nobody loves me at all,’ said a small fox. But that’s not true and Small’s mother is determined to prove that her love is limitless – no matter what! With sparkly foil stars and a small, sturdy board format, this is the perfect story to share with the very young. A beautiful, lyrical, loving book about setting big worries to rest, by the extremely talented Debi Gliori.
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This book isn’t one about loss but it is about love. Loving your child no matter where they are. This book I have read to all of my children whilst I was pregnant and this continued on to be a very special book to us. The week before Poppy’s funeral I visited her each day and this book is one I read to her whilst spending this precious time with her. A very special book.
What to do when you worry too much by Dawn Huebner, PhD.
What to Do When You Worry Too Much is an interactive self-help book designed to guide 6-12 year olds and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of generalized anxiety. Engaging, encouraging, and easy to follow, this book educates, motivates, and empowers children to work towards change. It includes a note to parents by psychologist and author Dawn Huebner, PhD.
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This book isn’t about loss but about understanding anxiety and ways to cope with it. I have used this book with 2 of my children at different times after being recommended it by our deputy headteacher. I myself have suffered with anxiety for many years. The wording of this book taught me a lot and gave me a deeper understanding into my own thoughts and ways. It was extremely beneficial for my children so I would highly recommend.
The Unworry Book by Alice James
‘We all worry. This write-in book is an unworry toolkit, full of things to calm you down and places to put your worries. Activities include creating a worry box, making a mood grid and mindfulness activities such as colouring, doodling and mazes. Written with the help of a psychologist, there are links to websites for tips, advice and support too.‘
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Again this book isn’t about loss but a toolkit for helping children to navigate their worrys. It can be used to open the lines of communication and to help your child talk about how they are feeling.
I hope that you have found this page useful and that you have found something which could help you and your family. Please comment below any baby loss and grief book recommendations which you may have. Thank you. Sara x
Please join Poppy’s journey on social media:
If you need additional support:
Arc – Antenatal results and choices.
Petals – The Baby Loss Counselling Charity.
Tommy’s – Baby Charity – Together, for every baby.
Sands – Stillbirth and neonatal death charity.
Baby Loss Support Links – A dedicated page I have put together of a range of support links.
To find out more about my ‘Baby Loss and Grief Journal’ please click below: