'My book helps children with death and grief'
Supplied"One of the most asked questions we get from parents is 'how do we talk to our little ones about death?'"
Author Fay Bloor, from Derby, says her book "Missing Someone Special" is aimed at gently explaining to children what it means when someone dies.
Illustrated by Michael Ashley, the book talks about what happens when people die, what grief is and gives information about what happens at both a burial and a cremation service.
Bloor, a bereavement support coordinator, says: "Parents are often navigating their own grief and they have suddenly got to explain this massive life event to someone who has not necessarily got the grasp of the world yet."
Bloor, a trained counsellor working for a funeral directors in Derby, says the idea first came to her during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
The 30-year-old added that the book highlights the importance of sharing emotions following the death of a loved one and is a resource often used by families.
Supplied"It had been an idea in my head for a while, but time at home gave me the space to put pen to paper," she says.
"I really enjoyed the process and it was brilliant to work with Michael, who did such a wonderful job of illustrating it.
"From my experience, sometimes bereaved children feel like they don't belong because they are going through something none of their friends have been through.
"I decided to write Missing Someone Special to specifically help children who find themselves coping with grief and the difficult feelings that they are experiencing.
"I wanted this to become an easier way to navigate a huge life event like death with children."
The book also provides space for children to write down happy memories of a loved one they have lost, attach a photograph, draw a picture or and write a letter to them.
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