Goodbye, Bear

PreS-Gr 3–Forest creatures mourn the loss of their friend, Bear, in this heartwarming story of grief for young children. Bear passes away on a beautiful and sunny day. Beaver and Mole are struggling to understand how their friend is gone and yet the forest keeps changing and others keep living. They cycle through the phases of grief as the seasons change as well, eventually finding a way to move on while keeping Bear’s memory alive. Chapman’s gentle exploration of death and grief pairs exquisitely with her whimsical illustrations; she moves the characters through the stages of grief with natural progression. This will allow young readers who have experienced loss to have an emotional outlet. As the animals learn to live life without their friend, they discover healthy ways to deal with all the changes that arrive with loss. Translating these to real life will be useful for children and their caregivers.