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Dealing with loss can be profoundly difficult for young children. Books can help to soothe the sorrow, giving the child a way to put grief into words. Henry Says Good-Bye by Edward T. Welch is from the Good News for Little Hearts series.

What struck me about this book was the depth of background. The loss focuses around a pet insect that showed illness, then passed away while pet owner Henry was at school. I was actually surprised that the bug died! The story didn’t end there, though. It continued to show how Henry dealt with the friend’s passing by withdrawing from his family and friends. It even showed him lashing out a bit. Finally, Henry’s father has a heart-to-heart with him about his own grief. It’s a touching story that kids will relate to.

I especially liked that Henry prayed that he’d see the hurt in others. This was a wise-beyond-his-years prayer, and was a gentle way to show character growth and maturity.

Books like Henry Says Good-Bye help children to develop compassion and metacognition. I highly recommend adding this to a child’s library or the church Sunday School shelves!