The Great Big Sad: Finding Comfort in Grief and Loss

You don’t need them most of the time, but when you need them you REALLY need them. ‘The Great Big Sad’ is a hardback picture book, but don’t be deceived: it’s wordy and split into chapters, and really more appropriate for primary-aged kids than preschoolers. It was perfect for my 9-year-olds and didn’t feel at all ‘young’.

The story follows a family who have lost their grandma. I thought it might be a bit hackneyed, but I was impressed at what it managed to cover. Each member of the family responds in a different way; the book teaches that there is no wrong or right way to grieve, and affirms feelings of sadness, hopelessness and anger, helping a child reading it to know that their feelings are valid and OK. There are lots of different ideas shared within ‘The Great Big Sad’ for how to grieve well, things that might help you, things you could try, fun way to honour the memory of a loved one.

I wish I’d had ‘The Great Big Sad’ when my Dad had died, but reading it 18 months on still initiated good conversation between me and my boys. We loved the practical application of ‘The Great Big Sad’, all told in a story format that kept them mesmerized.