Orchard Books, 2026.
Beti wants to be able to help his cousin, Rama, after the
death of her mother – his aunt.
A gentle story, one which acknowledges the loss felt by the
extended family.
Auntie's bangles by Dean Atta & Alea Marley
Single Fin by Aaron Topp
Random House, 2006.
Fin lives to party and to surf the next wave but when his best friend and mentor, Mike, dies he is left alone. Fin goes to live with Mike's uncle, a farmer down the coast, and begins to adjust to life on the farm. But when Jack, Mike's younger cousin, is expelled from boarding school things change. Jack comes to live on the farm and he and Fin don't get along. When Jack discovers surfing Fin is pressured into fighting demons he thought he had shut away for good.
Surfing - and suicide. Yep. Sport as a vehicle.
Dear Vincent by Mandy Hager
Random House New Zealand, 2013.
Seventeen-year-old Tara McClusky's life is hard. She shares the care of her paralysed father with her domineering, difficult mother, forced to cut down on her hours at school to help support the family with a part-time rest home job. She's very much alone, still grieving the loss of her older sister Van, who died five years before. Her only source of consolation is her obsession with art - and painting in particular. Most especially she is enamoured with Vincent Van Gogh: she has read all his letters and finds many parallels between the tragic story of his life and her own.
A story of grief and redemption.
Invisibly breathing by Eileen Merriman
Penguin Books, 2019.
A moving story about unconventional love, bullying and being true to yourself. 'I wish I wasn't the weirdest sixteen-year-old guy in the universe.' Felix would love to have been a number. Numbers have superpowers and they're safe - any problem they might throw up can be solved. 'If I were a five, I'd be shaped like a pentagon ... there'd be magic in my walls, safety in my angles.' People are so much harder to cope with. At least that's how it seems until Bailey Hunter arrives at school. Bailey has a stutter, but he can make friends and he's good at judo. And Bailey seems to have noticed Felix- 'Felix keeps to himself mostly, but there's something about him that keeps drawing me in.' Both boys find they're living in a world where they can't trust anyone, but might they be able to trust each other, with their secrets, their differences, themselves?
A story of relationships, bullying, truth, and identity.
Amazona by Canizales.
Translated from Spanish by Sofía Huitrón Martínez.
Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman, has returned to the land she calls home. Only 19 years old, she comes to mourn her lost child, carrying a box in her arms. And she comes with another mission. Andrea has hidden a camera upon herself. If she can capture evidence of the illegal mining that displaced her family, it will mark the first step toward reclaiming their land.
War, grief, protest, Indigenous rights, sexual assault, displacement – so much going on in such a slim volume – but one that packs a bunch.
The goodbye tree by Pip Harry & Christina Booth
Walker Books Australia, 2026.
A gentle, and quietly moving, story.
The only hint this is set in Australia is the kookaburra in one spread.
This shows the reality of a colonised land – the majority culture is not Indigenous to the land – or to Country.
Where the dead live by Sam Fern & Rômolo D'Hipólito
Templar Books, 2025.
Folklore, mythology, and cultural practices around death and
the dead – from around the world and through time.
Glitter boy by Ian Eagleton
Scholastic, 2023.
Books don't usually come with a whole heap of Mariah Carey love!
The under-the-radar, low-level bullying of James is something that hits close to home.
Again, those middle years can be complete hell. They were the worst years of my bullying - and by those who were, ostensibly, my friends.
Through it all, James keeps his glitter on. I quashed mine down.
Do fish sleep? by Jens Raschke & Jens Rassmus
Translated from German by Belinda Cooper.
Enchanted Lion, 2019.
Ten-year-old Jette wrestles with the death of her younger brother, Emil, at age six, recalling special times they had together, his long-term illness, and his funeral, as well as her parents' grief.
*Sigh* another book featuring death and grief.
It is such a universal, that there is no surprise it features in translated works.
Simple and poignant.
The secrets of Cricket Karlsson written by Kristina Sigunsdotter & Ester Eriksson
Translated by Julia Marshall.
Gecko Press, 2022.
A bright, contemporary and fearless novel about an ordinary extraordinary 11-year-old trying to win back her best friend and get her mother to stop sighing. Cricket Karlsson is going to become an artist just like her aunt, who loves cheese and art and always speaks her mind. Not like Cricket's mother, who is dieting and sighs at everything. But now Aunt Frannie has lost her joy and Cricket's best friend has dumped her for the horse girls. Eleven-year-old Cricket Karlsson is a warm and complex character with an artistic soul. Written as a diary, tween readers will fall in love with Cricket's tough yet charming voice as she shares her secret thoughts about her best friend break-up, her Aunt's breakdown and experimental chewing gum sculptures. Punkish and surprising comic-style illustrations perfectly compliment this coming of age story. This is a liberating and unexpected story about growing up, fitting in, and sorting out the adults in our lives that will reach the hearts of young readers (and older ones).
This age is such a tough one to write about - and to live through.
That balance between being a child, but sometimes stepping
into adult waters.
There's friendship issues.
The impact of adult mental health issues on those around
them.
There's growing up. And growing away. And growing closer.
All from a walnut by Ammi-Joan Paquette & Felicita Sala
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2022.
A poignant story of tradition, generational knowledge,
immigration, love, and grief. Life cycles, life lessons, and death.
Bridge to Anywhere by Sarah Milne & Laura Bee
Bridge to Anywhere by Sarah Milne & Laura Bee.
Beatnik Publishing, 2024.
Aotearoa.
With her cousins visiting from overseas, Lily shares her magical bridge … and this time they venture further than Australia. Where do you think they will visit and what do you think they will see? Following the success of Kiwis and Koalas, Bridge to Anywhere is the much anticipated sequel - another charming and whimsical tale of love, loss and bridging the distance between the people and places we miss.Family connections. A bit of fantasy. Mention of death and
loss.
It's ok. Nothing great. Heading towards twee.
Arno and his horse by Jane Godwin and Felicita Sala.
Scribble, 2020.
A bit confusing, with disconnects between text and illustrations – but not in a good way.
It’s also a story about death and grief, but that seems almost an afterthought. Rhyming text.
The invisible parade by Leigh Bardugo & John Picacio
Orion Children's Books, 2025.
Everyone in the neighborhood was getting ready for the party. Everyone knew somebody on the guest list. . . This was the day the dead returned. There's a party tonight, but Cala doesn't want to go. While her family prepares for the celebration, Cala grieves her grandfather and tries to pretend she's not afraid. But when she is separated from her family at the cemetery, Cala encounters four mysterious riders who will show her she is actually quite brave after all. Set on the night of Día de Muertos, Cala's story is one of love, loss, and the courage that can be found in unexpected places.
The horseman from the night of Día de Muertos, and a story
of grief, combine in a stunning sophisticated picture book.
Freya and the snake by Fredrik Sonck & Jenny Lucander
Originally published in Swedish as Freja och huggormen. Translated
by B.J. Woodstein.
Kids Can Press, 2025.
At their summer cottage, Freya's little brother, Hugo, spots a snake in the cairn. "Its name is Ormis," Freya proclaims. Worried for Hugo's safety, Freya's parents decide they don't want Ormis around -- they must catch the snake and take it away from their home. They assure Freya that the snake won't be harmed. Wearing rain boots and thick gloves, Freya's dad tries to capture Ormis all day. But Ormis is too quick, hissing and slithering in and out of rocky crevices, hiding from view. By the end of the day, Freya's dad is frustrated, his patience thin. So, when he spots Ormis again at last, he sneaks up slowly... and kills him with an oar. Freya sees the whole thing. "Murder!" Freya yells at her dad. Disheartened by her dad's actions, Freya shuns him. She knows that Ormis could have hurt Hugo, but does that mean the snake deserved to die? Surely not. But even if her dad did a bad thing, can Freya really stay mad at him forever? This unflinching picture book explores death, the relationship between humans and nature, and what happens when a child sees their parent do something they think is wrong -- and what it takes to find forgiveness.
A very different approach to dealing with death.
Freya’s father kills a snake, which could have bitten one of
the family. Freya cannot forgive the snake murder, even after his reasons are
explained. Freya has to deal with her anger at her father, but also her love of
him.
Is it asleep by Olivier Tallec
Originally published in French as Est-ce qu'il dort? Translated by Anthony Shugaar.
Gecko Press, 2025.
Squirrel and his best friend, Pock the mushroom, sit on the old stump, watching birds fly by. When they're tired of this, they take the path to the yellow meadow to listen to the blackbird sing. But today, the bird's not there. The friends look everywhere. Finally they find it on the path, all stretched out and quite still. It must be sleeping. They sit down quietly and wait for the bird to wake. This true-to-child story of a natural encounter with an animal that has died is both dryly humorous and a profound example of how to manage the comings and goings of life.
A quirky introduction to death, which does look at what it means – physically – to be dead. And, a bit at life cycles.
The glow: life, death & the light within by Rebekah Lipp & Craig Phillips
Wilding Books, 2026.
Discover a beautifully illustrated picture book that helps children understand death and dying in a comforting, spiritual way. It uses the metaphor of an inner light a unique "glow" that connects all living things to explain the cycle of life, loss, and lasting love. Perfect for parents, teachers, and caregivers seeking a tender resource for explaining death to kids or supporting children's grief.
Very spiritual – ie new-age-y.
Not one I would recommend.
Riwia and the Stargazer by Linda Tuhiwai Smith & Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.
Huia Publishers, 2023.
Since he was born, Riwia's baby brother, Tawa, has been in Auckland Hospital, and his family has come to stay in Auckland. While Riwia goes to school and Dad works as a cook, Mum stays with Tawa. Their Aunty Sue's house is full, and renting is expensive, so Riwia and her parents live in a van, the Stargazer. But Tawa is getting sicker, and he dies. The family travels back to Te Teko, taking Tawa to the marae for his tangi and burial. Riwia learns about the journey Tawa's spirit will make, and at Matariki, the family gathers and remembers Tawa.
This book deals with so much more than death, including homelessness. However, this book deals with death, lifetime illness, preparatory grief, and tangihana.
Millie's big decision by Ian Eagleton & Max Rambaldi
Tate Publishing, 2023.
Millie has always wanted a dog, but when her grandmother passes away, she finds herself scared of letting anyone (or any dog) in. Can her dads help her find the perfect pup to teach her to love again?
The death of Millie's beloved grandmother helps give this story impetus. How can Millie adopt and love a new dog, when they could die, and she would grieve. The inclusion of two dads is incidental to the story, but is a lovely bonus.
The more you give by Marcy Campbell and Francesca Sanna.
The more you give by Marcy Campbell and Francesca Sanna. 
A beautiful story of continuity and love, with lessons passed down through the generations.
The grandmother's death is not explained, but quietly incorporated into the story. I appreciate how the grandson knows to reach for help in his sorrow.
The story moves on, with more generations.
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