Experiencing a miscarriage can be devastating, and in the upheaval, it can be hard to know how to help older siblings who are grieving.
Even very young children may struggle and mourn over the loss, perhaps in ways we don’t always realize.
A storybook can open up a hard conversation and help a child know that they are not alone in their grief.
These 5 picture books may help your older child with their grief after the loss of a sibling to miscarriage.
(Just a note: Not all of these books have been vetted by Aleteia, so you may wish to pre-screen them.)
1From Pauley with Love: A Baby's Journey Into Heaven
Written from a Catholic perspective, From Pauley With Love helps the brothers and sisters of a child who died before birth answer the difficult questions that arise in the wake of a child's death. It is a story of faith, hope, love, and the power of Almighty God to turn tragedy into triumph.
2Loving Baby Louie: Hope in the Midst of Grief
In Loving Baby Louie, also written from a Catholic point of view, authors David and Colleen Currie share the story of their grandchild to offer hope to families suffering the loss of an infant and to assist children in the grieving process. Loving Baby Louie is a poignant story that will help small children understand the loss of a sibling and the eternal life that awaits them in Heaven.
3Our Heaven Baby: A Book about Miscarriage
Our Heaven Baby is a children's book about miscarriage and the hope of Heaven. One of my friends tells me that her older children still read it often, over a year after her miscarriage.
4My Sibling Still
My Sibling Still is written as a love letter from a sibling lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death to any surviving siblings. It walks through the emotions that a child and family may experience following a loss while also depicting the loving presence of the deceased child in the family's life.
With gentle words and pictures, this book offers a way for the entire family to remember and honor lost little ones, and reminds us that our relationships continue after death.
5The Invisible String
This bestselling picture book honors the unbreakable connections between loved ones, even after death. While not about miscarriage specifically, this book is a helpful and healing read for children grieving a loss.
