DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

The Grief Rock

A Book to Understand Grief and Love

Natasha Daniels author Lily Fossett illustrator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published:18th May '23

Should be back in stock very soon

The Grief Rock cover

A touching and beautiful story to help explain grief and loss to children

A story for young children to understand grief through the analogy of a 'grief rock'. Featuring a parent/guardian section which offers strategies and exercises for parents to implement as they support children working through grief.

When someone you love dies, the grief rock shows up

Sometimes grief can feel like a heavy weight you are carrying around. It can be difficult to explain how you feel or know how you will cope carrying the grief rock around.

This gentle story explores how grief is filled with all the love we have for someone who was important in our lives.

Perfect to open up the conversation on difficult feelings, the book also includes a short guide for adults with tips on supporting children after a bereavement.

A sweet book that will bring comfort to any family working through the loss of a loved one. -- Emmi Smid, Illustrator and Author of Luna's Red Hat
The Grief Rock is a lovely book that gives a concrete metaphor for grief as a rock that we carry around that can feel heavy or light as we travel our grief road. The end of the book gives a new way to look at grief. As a teacher of young children, I appreciate how this book gives us a way to talk about something that can feel overwhelming and acknowledges that it's ok to feel these big feelings and that it is all tied to love at its core. -- NetGalley reviewer, Educator
This is probably my favorite book on grief that I have read. I love that it mentions how some people don't know what to say, some people will avoid you, some will try to carry it, how it feels heavy and sometimes you can't eat, etc. It really touches on SO many parts of grief and offers so many talking points. -- NetGalley reviewer, Librarian
An honest, sensitive exploration of loss. -- Kirkus Reviews

This story helps children to comprehend a very complex emotion in such a simple way. The illustrations are also beautiful.

As someone who has been suffering with the rollercoaster that is grief this year, I also found the book comforting, relatable and helpful. Picture books are not just for children.

-- Lauren H, EYFS Teacher and Early Reading Lead

ISBN: 9781839974397

Dimensions: 216mm x 210mm x 8mm

Weight: 250g

32 pages

Illustrated edition