Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). When the death of a relative, a friend, or a pet happens or is about to happen…how can we help a child to understand?

It uses examples from nature to show different lengths of life and does a good job at normalizing death or the end of life. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Through Robert Ingpen's captivating illustrations, children can visualize and comprehend the abstract concepts of life and death. In a simple and matter-of-fact way, "Lifetimes" explains death in a way that children can understand.He has written and/or illustrated more than 100 books including versions of The Wind in the Willows, The Jungle Book, A Christmas Carol, and Treasure Island. When a close friend or family member dies, it can be difficult for children to express their feelings. Robert Ingpen is an award-winning illustrator of numerous books, including The Encyclopedia of Events That Changed the World, The Encyclopedia of Ideas That Changed the World, and The Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places. I was particularly drawn to this title because it can be tailored to a variety of religious belief systems. Lifetimes was written by my father to try and explain death and dying to young children in a clear, simple, non-sectarian way that they could understand and relate to.

I would caution against using this book as a regular picture book for toddlers and older preschoolers because it may actually introduce the idea of death before a child is able to comprehend the explanation. I had a hard time keeping their attention through the entire book, but we might have made it to the end if we had read a condensed version of this book. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. It talked about how plants, animals, fish, insects, birds, and humans all have a period of lifetime, then they die. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions.I bought it for my 3 year old who doesn't yet grasp the concept of death but we have seen many dead insects and a good few dead birds and mice (pet cat - need I say more! However, I think it's an excellent choice for a child who is asking about death or who has recently experienced the loss of a pet, friend, or relative. Each with our own story and each a part of a larger story, the story of generations of humanity and the vast diversity of life. Accompanied by some excellent illustrations of plants, animals and people which also help convey the theme of the book, Lifetimes is a gentle, sensitively written book that both children and adults find comforting and reassuring when dealing with a difficult topic.

A beautiful children's book about the cycle of life for all living things-animals, plants, humans, bugs.After losing my wife (33 years old) two years ago, this was one of the books that was recommended to me . The book simply explains that all life has a beginning and an ending, and highlights the different life spans of different creatures (and plants), with each page showing something different; an ant, a butterfly, a rabbit, flowers and shrubs, a crab, and so on, with beautiful illustrations showing a healthy/living version and a crumbling/dead version for comparison which is very helpful for a young child to make the distinction. By doing this, you cope with your pain and unanswered questions: when you explain to children, you are explaining to the child who is still living in you.

While I would personally use the adjective "realistic," rather than "beautiful," to describe this title, it is certainly not morbid or saccharine.It reads more like nonfiction, and it could be a good place to help start explaining death to little ones, especially if the child is very interested in facts or nonfiction. Although death can be a sensitive and sometimes difficult subject to address, this book was very comforting.