When Mia learns that her mother has died, all the colour in her world changes to a dreary grey. She feels guilty, angry, sad and lost (sometimes all at once!), and she doesn't know what to do to feel better. Little by little, with the help of her Dad, Mia learns how to cope with her difficult feelings. Together, they remember her mother by creating memory boxes, and they even get rid of anger by crazily sloshing paints and punching holes in newspapers! In the end, Mia finds her own, very special way of coping. When she feels sad or lonely, she looks up to the stars.

Full of practical strategies, this storybook for children aged 5-9 addresses loss, grief and hope. Written from the perspective of Mia who has experienced the sudden death of her mother, it covers the different stages of grief, from initial disbelief, anger and sadness to resolution and hope. The book highlights the importance of giving children the time and space to work through their feelings and provides a host of thoughtful activities to help them cope. It also addresses some of the questions children commonly ask about death.

Uniquely illustrated, this book will be an invaluable resource for anyone supporting a grieving child, especially bereavement counsellors, social workers, teachers and other school staff, as well as parents.

This book has been graded for interest at 5-9 years.

There are 48 pages in this book. This book was published 2015 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers .

Camille Gibbs is a social worker in the field of adoption, specialising in direct work with school-aged children moving to adoptive placements. Through her work, she has extensive experience of working with children who have suffered the loss of family members. She has also gained a certificate in counselling using the arts from the Centre for Child Mental Health, UK, in 2009. Camille lives in Essex, UK.

This book has the following chapters: Guide for Parents and Professionals. The story.