Books for younger children

Aged 2-4 years
Gliori, D.  [1999] No matter what.  Blomsbury Childrens books – A rhyming story with large, bright pictures about Small, a young fox who is feeling cross because no one loves him.  Large, then reassures him that she’ll love him no matter what.  A fun and imaginative book that only briefly talks about death but would be a useful story to help support young children through difficult times
Burningham, J. [2003]  Grandpa Grandpa – describes the very special relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. Together they share some precious moments and adventures together. The charm of Grandpa is the dialogue of the two characters which is often amusing and insightful. John Burningham cleverly uses colour illustration to depict real life, with contrasting black and white to depict the little girl’s imaginative interpretation of grandpa’s words.

Aged 5-8
Forrest, G. [2007] Mummys lump.  Breast Cancer Care – A story for young children when their mum gets breast cancer.  This is a reassuring story, that allows families to talk about cancer.  It cover diagnosis, going into hospital, treatment and hair loss.
LeBlanc, S. [1999] A dragon in your heart – This book explains to a five-year old that her mother has cancer. Written by a mother with advanced breast cancer for her own daughter.

Aged 5-12
Stokes, J.A. [2000] The secret C – The Secret C attempts to answer some of the questions and worries a child may have about cancer especially when it involves someone within the family.  This reassuring book will help adults and children to talk about the difficult issues and feelings involved when someone is seriously ill.
Ironside, V. [1996] The huge bag of worries.  Hodder Wayland – Jenny begins to worry about lots of different things and these worries build up and get out of control.  She just cant get rid of them, unti she meets the old lady next door who helps her feel better.  A lovely story with fun illustrations encourages children to talk about their worries
Heegaard, M. [2003] Drawing together to learn about feelings. Fairway Press – This book takes the child into the world of his/her feelings; to identify, acknowledge and deal with feelings as a natural part of one’s self. Most children love to draw and feelings that are hard to verbalise can be expressed in art. The child can also work at his/her own pace. As the child owns the book so too can the child “own” his/her own feelings. It is a great tool for the therapist, school counsellor and the parent.
Winthrop, E. [2001] Promises, Clarion Books – A young girl experiences a range of emotions when her mother undergoes treatment for cancer.  Aged 7-11
Aged 9-12
Heegaard, M. [1993] When someone has a very serious illness, Fairview Press -This workbook aims to help children understand their feelings when someone in their family is seriously ill.
Huebner, D. [2004] What to do when you worry to much: A kids guide to overcoming anxiety – Is an interactive self-help book designed to guide 6-12 years old and their parents through the cognitive-behavioural techniques most often used in the treatment of generalised anxiety.  Engaging, encouraging, and easy to follow, this book educates, motivates and empowers children to work towards change.
Speltz, A.  [2003] The year my mother was bald – “The Year My Mother Was Bald” is written for children ages 8-13 who find themselves in the position of dealing with a parent dealing with cancer. Ann Speltz based this book on the experiences of her own family during the year that she was treated for cancer.