I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

This picture book is a wonderful way to talk about death of a parent, sibling, grandparent or pet with a child in your life. Each is shown in a loving and caring manner and will start a conversation if a child has lost someone recently or even if they are going to lose someone.

What Happens After? is such a tender and comforting book about grief, and honestly, it’s exactly what I didn’t know I needed. Diane Namm gently reminds us that grief isn’t something you “get over” on a schedule—it’s personal, messy, and takes as long as it takes.

The way the book honors all kinds of loss—with warmth, honesty, and hope—feels so important, especially for kids trying to understand big feelings. The colorful illustrations add this beautiful layer of emotion that stays with you.

If you’re looking for a compassionate way to talk about grief or just need a gentle reminder that love and memories live on, this book is pure gold. Also, the audiobook narrated by Katharine Ross is a soothing bonus that makes the experience even more special.

WOW. Thank you for this book.
As a librarian, I’ve gotta help the people I care about find answers to some pretty tough questions. Helping a parent understand how to talk about grief with their child is some of the toughest work I’ve come by. Having lost my mother at a young age, I have consistently been on my own grief journey for many years. It never gets easier to discuss, but that makes it all the more necessary. Many people try not to involve a child of a certain age in grief at all - sometimes, though, this is entirely unavoidable. This book gives a catalyst forr an open heart and a dogma-free understanding of what happens to us when we are the ones left behind.
Immediately purchasing this one for the library and I think it should go on all kinds of required reading lists! VERY important, more than many of us realize

This feels like a pretty good book for children who are grieving someone and don't quite understand what to do. This book is quite uplifting and encourages you the feel the emotions you feel and that it's normal but to also seek joy. And remind children of different ways they can remember someone. Good message, good diversity of characters portrayed, and good art.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc, this doesn't affect my thoughts.

A simple yet courageous book to explain heavy subject of the loss of the loves ones for kids. The colorful illustrations and simple words used in this book helped a lot. The illustrations were beautiful and heartwarming at the same time.
I read this book to my 4 years old son and he could easily comprehend the goals of this book toward how we need to treat our grief in simple yet important base.
My son never met his grandfather from his father's side, but we do almost the same as written in this book. We often talk about him and go to old pictures of him.

Thank you to Diane Namm, Diane Namm, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, and NetGalley for the review e-copy of this book.

This is such a beautiful story! I literally have to run to Amazon soon to order this. I would love to have this as my son gets older to explain when it’s needs to be. This story helps children understand grief. Losing Family, whether that’s pets or humans, it hurts. I enjoyed the way this story explained the way, the way is your way. It’s when you’re ready. “ It takes as long as it takes”. Such a beautiful story.

I don’t wanna give away the spoilers, it’s better to just read it yourself.

Thank you NetGalley & Diane for giving the opportunity to ready this book. 🩷

My daughters never met my dad—he passed away almost nine years before they were born—but as they grow, they’ve started asking more questions about him and what happens when someone dies. I picked up this book hoping it would help me explain it in a way they could understand, and it did exactly that.

The story gently touches on the emotions that come with grief—sadness, anger, wondering if we’ll ever feel better—while offering the comforting reminder that “it takes as long as it takes.” The warm, detailed illustrations not only brought the words to life, but also sparked meaningful questions and conversations with my girls. We talked about ways to remember my dad and how, even though they never knew him, he’s still part of our story.

This book made me a little misty-eyed, but in the best way. It opened the door to an important, healing conversation, and I’m so glad we read it together. I would highly recommend it to any family looking for a gentle way to talk about loss with young children.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diane Namm for the opportunity to read this beautiful book.

What a beautiful book and beautiful message. I'm always for more books on grief for kids and this one can be added to that list. Pretty illustrations too

What a beautiful book about losing loved ones and animals. This is a simple, beautiful way of explaining the grieving process to children. I think this book is very beneficial for parents to read to their children. It can even be comforting for adults. Thank you to Diane Namm, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Death is such a hard topic to discuss with children, and books like this one make it easier for adults who struggle to find the right words. Especially as they are in the midst of their own grief, trying to find those words are even harder. This is a wonderful book. It does not broach the topic of what happens after we die, so it can be used by people of ever religion. Rather, it focuses on what happens to those left here grieving the loss. That we remember those people eventhoughthey have left us.

Would definitely recommend this.

This was an easy read book for kids to understand the various emotions we as humans, experience after the loss of our loved ones. The writing style and the illustrations were soothing. Even adults can find comfort in this touching book.

This picture book introduces children to the concept of the grieving process, explaining what happens for friends and family after a loved one dies. The "after" in the title refers to the people left behind, and the book does not address beliefs related to the afterlife. The story follows different children's loss experiences, which involve grieving a grandparent, a parent, a sibling, and a pet. The storylines model the grief experience for readers, and validate all of these losses. This is a truthful, non-sentimental, and emotionally honest book that can help explain and normalize grief experiences for children.

This book beautifully covers a very heavy topic... death. It shows how there will be big feelings and how things will change, but with time you will live. And that isn't bad- it means you get to carry those you love in your heart forever. Beautifully written and illustrated.

What Happens After is a tender, beautifully written book that gently guides readers—young and old—through grief, loss, and the quiet hope of healing. 💔✨

The message is powerful but delivered with softness, making it accessible for little ones while still deeply resonating with adults. The illustrations are absolutely stunning and bring such warmth and peace to every page.

It’s one of those rare books that stays with you—offering comfort, reflection, and a reminder that love doesn’t end… it just transforms. A truly special read. 💛📖

This is a deeply emotional book — I started crying by the third page. I read it just days after the tragic flooding in Texas, and even though I didn’t know anyone personally affected, the story hit very close.

Coming from Ukraine, where grief and loss have become a daily reality for so many families due to the ongoing war, I felt this book in my heart. It reflects the quiet pain and the impossible questions children (and adults) face after losing someone.

Books like this are essential — not just in places marked by tragedy, but everywhere. Because even when loss comes from old age, illness, or accidents, it still leaves a mark. And through stories like this, we can begin to understand how to live with grief, and most importantly — how to keep loving.

This book is a great resource for families with little ones who have recently experienced a loss. It explains the big emotions of grief in an age appropriate way, and gives children ideas for healthy ways they can express those emotions.

I really enjoyed the art work in this book. It is a beautiful depiction of a diverse families and many different kinds of loss. The illustrator took care in the way they depicted the idea of loss, and showed ways in which a family member can still feel close to use once they are gone.

This book is a beautiful way to explain to kids how we can remember and honor those who have died. It is shared in a simple way that is easy to understand and doesn’t “overshare”

What Happens After? is book that I wish was available for my nephew, when my mother passed away. This book respectfully covers the emotions of loss in a family and what happens after the funeral. The book covers all types of grief that family can experience - the death of a parent, grandparent, sibling and even a family pet. If a child in your life experiences a loss, this book can help the child not feel alone. The book also shares ways of how to show our love for the loved ones no longer with us.

I absolutely loved this book. The art was cute. I appreciated that the message that grief "takes as long as it takes" was portrayed clearly through the simple prose (with some help from the illustrations). I also liked that the book acknowledged spirituality in a way that most people can relate to by explaining that "we look for signs and we find them." The book doesn't portray any specific faith and doesn't make a statement about whether or not signs are actually sent from a deceased loved one. It doesn't matter; what matters is that there is a human urge to seek out those we've lost and find comfort in the world around us. It's a good lesson to convey to young readers. I love that the book shows different ways to work through grief, like "doing "the things we would have done together if we'd had more time." Lastly, I appreciate that the book acknowledges that children can die by showing a child mourning their sibling. It's a hard issue for even adults to process. I like that this painful reality was included since so many children's books about grief are about losing grandparents or parents. And this would be a great book to read with a child who has lost someone very young in their life.

After the unexpected death of a family member this past year, I was hopeful that a book like "What Happens After?" existed to help the kids in my family through it. This will be a great resource for families grappling with the complexities of grief and how to explain it to young children. As an ICU nurse, I am going to request our social worker add it to our library of resources for grieving families.