ERIC Number: EJ1439180
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Oct
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1082-3301
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1707
Supporting Children through Grief: A Content Analysis of Picturebooks about Death
Katie Danielson; Hailey Colman
Early Childhood Education Journal, v52 n7 p1413-1422 2024
While society attempts to shield children from death, many are exposed to and impacted by death in their early years, either through the death of someone they know or through media portrayals of death. Even though adults often avoid discussing death with children, children as young as age three can understand the concept and benefit from discussing it with a trusted adult. One way to foster these conversations is through reading picturebooks. This research examines young children's literature that focuses on dying and death. We report findings from a systematic review of children's books focusing on how death is portrayed and discussed in these books. Data indicates that most books are written in a way that does not align with the explicit messaging young children need on the topic. There are also gaps in which characters died, how the characters died, and how much diversity is present within the books. Many books lack additional resources, which would be a beneficial support as parents and teachers tackle this tough topic.
Descriptors: Picture Books, Childrens Literature, Grief, Death, Content Analysis, Alignment (Education)
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A