When A Pet Says Goodbye

When a pet dies, it is often a child’s first meeting with loss. It arrives without warning, usually on an ordinary day, and the adult who has to explain it is grieving too.When a Pet Says Goodbye is a practical, gentle guide for that week - and the weeks after. It is written in two halves, one for the grown-up and one to share.Part One speaks directly to parents, grandparents and caregivers: what children actually understand about death at different ages, what to say and what is better left unsaid, the questions children ask over and over again, how to recognise when a child needs more support than a book can give, and how to look after yourself while you are carrying someone else through it.Part Two is for reading together - a quiet, unhurried story written to fit any animal a family has loved, whether that was a dog, a cat, a bird, a rabbit or a hamster. The story is followed by keepsake pages a child can complete at their own pace: a memory to draw, a goodbye letter to write, a memory box to make, and coloring pages for the long afternoons that follow.There is no timeline in this book and no lesson at the end. It does not tell a child how to feel or promise that the sadness will pass by a certain day. It gives a family the words to start with, and something to do with their hands while they find the rest.Written for children roughly ages 4 to 10 and the adults who love them.