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""She's in a better place now," adults say again and again. But mortality doesn't seem better, it seems stupid. This forthright exploration of grief and mourning recognizes the anger, confusion, and fear that we feel about death. Necessary, beautiful, and ultimately reassuring, Death Is Stupid is an invaluable tool for discussing death, but also the possibilities for celebrating life and love. The Ordinary Terrible Things Series shows children who navigate trouble with their senses on alert and their souls intact. In these stories of common childhood crises, help may come from family, counselors, teachers, or dreams-but crucially, it's the children themselves who find their way to cope and grow"-- "This exploration of grief and mourning recognizes the anger and confusion that a child feels around death while offering possibilities for celebrating life and love. This is the second book in the series, Ordinary Terrible Things, following the first installation, Divorce is the Worst"--… (more)
User reviews
The second in Anastasia Higginbotham's Ordinary Terrible Things series, which is (according to the author's website) intended to "advance children’s right to safety, power, and respect—at home, in their beds, in all their relationships, at school, in the hospital, on sidewalks wearing a hoodie, and everyplace else," this brief picture-book is less of a story than an overt work of bibliotherapy. As such, it is not a title I would normally pick up, if we were not hosting the author for an event at work. I confess that I initially found the title a bit off-putting, although I understand that it is meant to reflect the child's own perspective. That said, having now read through it, I do think Death Is Stupid would be a helpful book to use in working with grieving children. It is to such children, and to those who work with them, that I would recommend Higginbotham's work.