I think a book like this can be super useful when talking about grief with children. Grief is something that feels different for everyone and it is difficult to grasp and explain to others, especially to children. That's why this book spoke to me and I was very curious to see how the author would handle explaining grief to children.
I think it is beautifully done, with using the rock as a metaphor for grief. However, I felt like it was too rushed, especially the ending. I think the book should have focused more in the end on the love and memories the grieving person has for the deceased. Now it was just mentioned once at the end of the story.
Besides this, I think the concept of grief is very clear after reading this book, also for kids. And it is a good way to help adults talk about grief to children. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the story, so well done there!

This book has a really lovely, simple way of describing a very complex emotion. It is a very clear book which is written in a way perfect for children. Would be ideal to read with a child who is upset and suffering greif to help them understand their emotions. The pictures are nice and simple and child friendly too. Great book, will definitely use in my classroom.

The Grief Rock introduces a clever way to talk about how we experience grief with children. All the examples in the book are so vividly shown and as close to how we really experience the emotion as possible but at the same time they offer a healthy distance by presenting grief as something separate from us - a rock.

This was so beautifully written.

I really enjoyed how the grief was depicted as the rock and how it changed from big or small it was a perfect way to explain grief and how crushing it can be but also that things get better and feel lighter some days too.

It’s an excellent book for letting children (and adults honestly) know that what they’re feeling is normal. It’s ok to be sad. It’s also ok to be happy.

The Grief Rock is the perfect depiction of what it’s like to live and deal with grief and the big feelings associated with it. Grief is hard to talk about for anyone, but especially for small children who can’t properly express what or how they’re feeling. I highly recommend this title.

From what I could read of this book. I'm not sure if it's the way it loaded but the words were all out of place. I'm guessing its because it's a children's picture book.

This is a quick story that can help open children up when grief happens in their life. I liked the metaphor of the rock being the grief you carry around. This could be a good way to talk with children on their level about grief. The pictures were nice and colorful.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Singing Dragon and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Grief Rock was written by a mother of 3 after her husband tragically passed away. She used the metaphor of the grief rock to help her children process and understand grief.

This book is absolutely breathtaking and heartbreaking. I found myself tearing up while reading it and feel it could help adults process grief just as much as children! It talks about so many aspects of grief in a way children can understand and relate to. It even talks about things that are often ignored, like how difficult it can be to watch others play and have fun while you are feeling grief. I love that it ends positively, showing kids that grief is a sign of deep love.

This is such a special book. I would absolutely get it for any child navigating grief and for other children to help develop empathy when others are grieving.

This beautiful book deals with grief. It’s written by a mom of 3 who wrote it to help her family cope after the loss of her husband. In it, the girl deals with various stages of grief, but mostly talks about how some days are easier than others, but certain moments bring on floods of memories that make the rock heavier some days. I loved the last page so much.

The Grief Rock is a small but potentially very impacful book about grief for readers aged 3-6. Through a beautifully illustrated extended metaphor, it makes for a perfect conversationstarter for educators, caretakers and parents to open up a conversation about an otherwise difficult topic.

The book introduces us to grief in the form of a stone; at times crushingly heavy, other times light as a pebble, but always there to carry. It shows stones in different shapes for different people, and emphasises how these rocks aren’t something we need to hide or get rid of, but actually hold something beautiful inside. There’s little “story” to it, but it doesn’t need it to get across its message. The illustrations are beautifully coloured and portray a diverse and inclusive set of characters, which I deeply appreciated. I can only imagine how beautiful the finished copy will look.
I will always be championing the kind of childrens books that offer a helping hand in navigating difficult subjects. They can help young readers to concretise great and abstract feelings like grief, as well as offer adults an approachable way to start a conversation with their child about them. When read together, they can be a way to connect and an easy reference point along the way in guiding a grieving child. I can speak from experience (from both sides) with regards to that…
Although I hope as few as possible people will have a need for this book, I highly recommend it to any caretakers or kids who do.

Thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review/sensitivity read. All opinions are my own.
The Grief Rock will be available for purchase on May 18th 2023.