As Big as it Gets

Julie Stokes and Diana Crossley

This booklet aims to help families cope with the serious illness of a parent or child. It provides a range of ideas for parents and carers so that they may feel more able to explain to their children what is happening. The booklet also includes some suggestions about what parents might say to children and how to offer support.

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

Marge Heegard

This book provides children and their caregivers a broad range of opportunities to express thoughts and feelings related to advanced stages of a life-threatening illness. The book has a warm interactive quality to it. Through the creative activities it offers, children can learn to communicate more openly about their illness, develop coping skills, express personal wishes, foster hope, and share thoughts and concerns about death.

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Fox & Goldfish

Nils Pieters

Fox knows that Goldfish is very unwell and is going to die. Before it’s too late he takes his friend on an epic adventure beyond the fishbowl. This story shows the importance of spending precious time with someone who is ill and doing things together whilst the ill person is still able to. This is important in building memories for a child, and for the person who is ill, of spending precious moments together. It would be particularly relevant and useful in preparing a child for the death of a special person in their lives.

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My Brother and Me

Sarah Courtauld and Rebecca Cobb 

This picture books story deals with the issues around a sibling's serious illness, and stays in hospital, and how his brother copes with different emotions and feelings. Aimed at children aged 4-10 years.

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Only one of me - A love letter from Dad

Lisa Wells, Michelle Robinson and Tim Budgen 

Only One of Me - A love letter from Dad is a gentle and comforting book to share with a child when a father or father figure is not expected to live. Beautifully illustrated throughout, the book also includes an empty spread at the back for a family to share messages and a photo.  Also available in Welsh.

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Only one of me - A love letter from Mum

Lisa Wells, Michelle Robinson and Tim Budgen 

Only One of Me - A love letter from Mum is a gentle and comforting book to share with a child when a mother or mother figure is not expected to live. Beautifully illustrated throughout, the book also includes an empty spread at the back for a family to share messages and a photo. Also available in Welsh. 

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Precious Time

Lindsey Stukalov Stone

This book helps children understand their feelings when a loved one is dying. The book is an interactive tool for adults to use as a guide to plan their own conversation or to be used in direct work with children. The book supports the child's mental health through an interactive, gentle and validating approach. 

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Standing on His Own Two Feet: A Diary of Dying

Sue Grant

Alexander had just begun his studies at university when he was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. In this honest account, Alex’s mother traces the impact of the diagnosis on the whole family and outlines the issues that arose during diagnosis, treatment and terminal stages of her son’s illness. Includes an insight into how health care systems serve the terminally ill, the choices faced by families, and ways of providing the best possible care at home and maintaining the patient’s dignity until the end.

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The Secret C: Straight Talking About Cancer 

Julie Stokes

Cancer in the family is hard for everyone. How can adults explain when they themselves are trying to come to terms with the implications of the diagnosis? This book offers simple, honest explanations of what cancer is and how it affects someone. It also gives short explanations of treatments such as radiotherapy. It will help adults to answer difficult questions children need to ask.

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What About Me? When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick

Allan Peterkin

When a child is seriously ill, siblings experience mixed emotions and hurt feelings, and wonder about the future. In this heartwarming story, the narrator, a confused young girl, expresses all of these concerns when her brother goes to the hospital for an extended stay.

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When your Mum or Dad has cancer

Ann Couldrick and Graham Jeffrey

A short book for younger children (7+) to teenage children. It has an introduction for parents but then explains cancer in a simple way children can relate to. It also covers many questions children ask, such as will the person die and what exactly happens, but tackles the answers with insight and honesty.

Buy from Child Bereavement UK

When Someone Has a Very Serious Illness: Children Can Learn to Cope with Loss and Change

Marge Heegaard

This book aims to help families communicate and evaluate a child’s understanding and feelings about family change while teaching basic concepts of illness and healthy coping skills.

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