Hello, friends! Our book today is Death Is Stupid by Anastasia Higginbotham, a sensitive and honest book that helps children deal with the realities of, and their feelings about, death and grief.

Told through the eyes of a little boy who has lost his grandmother, the book begins with some straightforward talk about death. When you’re a kid, losing a loved one can be scary, confusing, and very sad. Grownups, even the ones that mean well, don’t always say the right thing; “she’s in a better place,” or “he’s at rest” or “she’s watching over you now,” don’t magically make the pain go away, and can sometimes make the fear or confusion worse. The fact is, losing someone you love is awful, and death is stupid. But it’s okay to feel bad, it’s okay to feel sad, and it’s okay to grieve. Losing someone doesn’t mean they are lost to you: there are plenty of ways to honor their memory and keep them with you.

This was a very interesting and quite candid book about loss and grief, and a pleasant surprise. The text pulls no punches: grief is hard, it sucks, but it’s a normal part of life. But the story also provides a lot of wonderful suggestions for children to get past grief and remember those that are gone, even becoming a sort of workbook at the end that lets its reader express their own specific loss. I especially loved that it tells kids there’s nothing wrong with questioning platitudes, forming their own opinions about the afterlife, and not accepting lies (“she’s just sleeping”). It encourages children to have agency over their own grief, and was very moving. The mixed-media art fits the tone of the book well, and the length is just right. JJ and I appreciated this refreshingly honest look at loss, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!