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September 21, 2023

Kimberly

Support a Child During a Season of Loss and Grief

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The death of a loved one is difficult at any age. The whirlwind of emotions following a loss can be hard to navigate. And it is even harder as a child, when the feelings are just as big but the vocabulary for expressing those emotions is more limited.

Our children’s book Everywhere, Still is a companion on the grief journey—an exploration of what to do with the love we have for someone when they’re no longer here to give it to. With lyrical rhymes and hope-filled illustrations, Everywhere, Still makes intangible feelings tangible for a child while gently affirming that every emotion they are experiencing is valid and important.

“I was inspired to write a book about grief that encompasses a child’s point of view, because there are so few of them in existence,” says author M.H. Clark. “There are so many beautiful books about loss that offer a story about someone else, but I wanted to create a book with a narrator who can offer language that children can use for themselves, to describe what they’re experiencing.”

Everywhere, Still makes deep resonance possible for children by depicting the journey of a young girl who is missing someone dear. Warm, collage-style illustrations by Claire Lemp show the narrator reflecting on memory moments while Clark’s poetry offers kids phrases they can use to describe their own journey:

The book uses soft imagery of a bird as a symbol of hope amid sadness. “I’ve incorporated the bird as a way to carry through the theme of enduring love, connection, and relationship with the person lost,” says illustrator Claire Lemp. Making appearances throughout the narrative, the bird’s presence is a reminder that even when we are separated from the ones we care for—whether that separation is temporary or permanent—our love can travel across any distance.

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“This book is for any child (or even adult) who is experiencing a profound loss, and the grief that accompanies it,” says Clark. “It would be especially meaningful for grieving families to read together.”

Gift Everywhere, Still to a little one who has lost a grandparent, is missing a parent who is serving overseas, is wishing a friend didn’t have to move away, or grieving a pet who was very much loved. This beautiful read-aloud is an opportunity to teach a child about all the ways love lives on. Find it here.

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