I’ve noticed a lot of picture books geared toward helping kids deal with the loss of a pet within the past few months. A pet’s death is often the first loss of a loved one a child experiences, and guiding them through it can be difficult and fraught with potential missteps. The authors of these books tackle the subject in a few different ways, whether that’s through straightforward, honest, comforting text, or more roundabout child-friendly metaphors that help kids work through their grief. I’ve focused this booklist on recently and soon to be published titles from 2017 to 2020.

Henry and Bea by Jessixa Bagley

Henry and Bea have always been inseparable…until one day Henry suddenly stops talking to Bea. He won’t chat with her in class, and he won’t sit with her at lunch. Bea can tell something’s going on, and she’s determined to find out what it is.

Then their teacher announces that the class is taking a field trip to a farm, and Bea hopes that this might be her chance to reconnect with Henry. When Henry finds an old cat collar at the farm and starts to cry, he finally reveals his secret to Bea: his cat Buddy died last week.

And even though it’s hard for them both, Bea knows that she’ll be there for Henry, as his best friend, no matter what.

From award-winning author/illustrator Jessixa Bagley comes a realistic and ultimately uplifting portrayal of the challenges of childhood friendship.

A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker

This year’s summer vacation will be very different for a young girl and her family without Sascha, the beloved family dog, along for the ride. But a wistful walk along the beach to gather cool, polished stones becomes a brilliant turning point in the girl’s grief. There, at the edge of a vast ocean beneath an infinite sky, she uncovers, alongside the reader, a profound and joyous truth. In his first picture book following the conclusion of his best-selling Journey trilogy, Aaron Becker achieves a tremendous feat, connecting the private, personal loss of one child to a cycle spanning millennia — and delivering a stunningly layered tale that demands to be pored over again and again.

Paws + Edward by Espen Dekko

Paws is tired. He just wants to rest. And to dream about the days when he used to chase rabbits. He still walks with Edward to the park twice a day, but only because Edward needs the fresh air. Until one day, Paws decides he doesn’t want to go for another walk. He just wants to lie in Edward’s bed. Paws has walked and walked. His paws are heavy. Paws doesn’t have to walk anymore. Paws doesn’t have to do anything anymore. And Paws falls asleep one last time, leaving Edward to dream of the days when Paws used to chase rabbits.

The Invisible Leash by Patrice Karst (December 2019)

“When our pets aren’t with us anymore, an Invisible Leash connects our hearts to each other. Forever.” That’s what Zack’s friend Emily tells him after his dog dies. Zack doesn’t believe it. He only believes in what he can see. But on an enlightening journey through their neighborhood–and through his grief–he comes to feel the comforting tug of the Invisible Leash. And it feels like love.

Accompanied by tender, uplifting art by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, bestselling author Patrice Karst’s gentle story uses the same bonding technique from her classic book The Invisible String to help readers through the experience of the loss of a beloved animal.

The End of Something Wonderful by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic

It’s painful when children lose their pets, and The End of Something Wonderful helps them handle their feelings when they can’t find the right words. In a warm, understanding, sometimes funny way, it explains how to plan a backyard funeral to say goodbye, from choosing a box and a burial spot to giving a eulogy. Most of all, it reassures kids that it’s not the end of everything . . . and that Something Wonderful can happen again.

Where Lily Isn’t by Julie Paschkis (January 2020)

Where Lily Isn’t is Julie Paschkis and Margaret Chodos-Irvine’s beautiful bereavement picture book celebrating the love of a lost pet.

Lily ran and jumped and barked and whimpered and growled and wiggled and wagged and licked and snuggled.

But not now.

It is hard to lose a pet. There is sadness, but also hope–for a beloved pet lives on in your heart, your memory, and your imagination.

Tim’s Goodbye by Steven Salerno

Margot is sad because her beloved pet, Tim, has died.

She and her friends band together to give him a proper sendoff. Melinda brings her French horn. Vincent brings balloons. Otto wears his best hat. When all gather together, they celebrate Tim’s beautiful, simple life as they send him on a surprising farewell journey to a special place above the mountains and beyond the clouds.

And Margot has a feeling that Tim is happy once again.

This tender story from Steven Salerno also features his beautiful illustrations, with a simple color palette and classic feel. Tim’s Goodbye is sure to strike a chord with readers who have experienced a difficult farewell.

Cyparissus by Marta Sanmamed

In Cyparissus there is a little dog who gets lost in a park, a sleeping rabbit, a horse up in the clouds, and a bird setting off on a long, long journey.

In Cyparissus there is Irene playing jump rope, George looking up at the sky, Molly who has bad dreams, and Danny carrying a backpack full of T-shirts.

In Cyparissus there are four winds and a tree—the tallest tree in the whole city—and it’s crying…

Scout’s Heaven by Bibi Dumon Tak

In this poignant story, a family grieves the loss of their beloved dog, Scout. There’s pouring rain when Scout dies, and the sky looks like it’s never seen the sun. Even so, Scout’s family begins the terrible task of burying her. Then Little Brother hears the thunder rumble and realizes it sounds just like Scout growling at the mail carrier. He starts wondering where Scout is now—if she has food to eat, pigeons to chase, sticks to fetch. And his search for answers helps the whole family find a sense of peace.

This powerful story will resonate with any reader who has loved and lost a pet.

The Day We Lost Pet by Chuck Young

Part creation myth, part fairy tale, The Day We Lost Pet tells the story of a family that comes together to mourn the death of their beloved Pet. These endearing balloon characters harness the language of poetry, science, and nature in order to understand of of life’s most difficult moments.

Life is tough in picture books. If you’re not in imminent danger of being devoured, you might be weathering the challenges of finding a good hug. While hugs from loved ones are something most kids take for granted (for the kids who appreciate hugs, at least), hugs can be a trickier proposition if you’re a hedgehog. Or a cactus. Or a snake. Or a tyrannosaurus rex. Luckily, in all of the picture book examples below, the animals (or plants) persevere, and a happy ending is found for each that celebrates their own special characteristics.

Hedgehog Needs a Hug by Jen Betton

Everyone needs hugs, even if they’re prickly. When Hedgehog wakes up feeling down in the snout and droopy in the prickles, he knows a hug will make him feel better. But none of his friends are eager to wrap their arms around Hedgehog’s prickles, and he’s too smart to fall for Fox’s sly offer. Then Hedgehog gets a surprise: Another animal in the forest is feeling exactly the same way. Luckily, both are kind and brave enough for the perfect hug.

I Need a Hug by Aaron Blabey

‘I need a hug. Will you cuddle me, Lou?’ ‘What? With those spikes? Get away from me! Shoo!’ All this little porcupine wants is a hug. But with such prickly spikes, will she ever get the cuddle she craves?

Hug Me by Simona Ciraolo

Ever feel like you need a hug, a really big hug from someone? That’s how Felipe the young cactus feels, but his family just isn’t the touchy-feely kind. Cactuses can be quite prickly sometimes you know . . . and so can Felipe. But he’ll be darned if this one pointy issue will hold him back, so one day Felipe sets off on his own to find a friend and just maybe, that long awaited hug. In her debut picture book, Simona Ciraola creates an endearing tale of friendship, beautifully illustrated with buoyant wit and the perfect story to share.

Huggy the Python Hugs Too Hard by Ame Dyckman

Huggy the Python loves to hug. The only problem is, he hugs WAY too hard. WAIT! Can you show Huggy how to give a gentle hug? Wee Beasties is a new board book series from New York Times bestselling author, Ame Dyckman, featuring silly animals doing the things they love just a little TOO much. In this first book about Huggy the Python and all the things he loves, little ones will learn how to give a big gentle hug.

Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich

Hank is the prickliest cactus in the entire world. He sits in a pot in a window that faces the empty desert, which is just how he likes it. So, when all manner of creatures—from tumbleweed to lizard to owl—come to disturb his peace, Hank is annoyed. He doesn’t like noise, he doesn’t like rowdiness, and definitely does not like hugs. But the thing is, no one is offering one. Who would want to hug a plant so mean? Hank is beginning to discover that being alone can be, well, lonely. So he comes up with a plan to get the one thing he thought he would never need: a hug from a friend.

How Do You Hug a Porcupine? by Laurie Isop

Can you imagine hugging a porcupine? Sure, it’s easy to picture hugging a bunny or even a billy goat, but where would you begin to try to hug a porcupine? After seeing all his friends hug their favorite animals, one brave boy works up the courage to hug a porcupine, but the porcupine isn’t so sure he wants to be hugged! The latest contest winner Laurie Isop and illustrator Gwen Millward aren’t afraid to ask the pointed questions!

Wally Wants to Hug by Barbara Joosse

Hugging’s the way to start the day, but Wally’s friends are scared of his hugs! Wally is a young boa constrictor who loves hugs. His parents give him hugs to begin and end the day, and he hugs them back just as tightly. However, Wally’s classmates at school don’t seem to love hugs as much as he does and are scared of getting hugs from Wally, since boa constrictors squeeze so hard! How can Wally show them that his friendly hugs are nothing to be afraid of?

Sloppy Wants a Hug by Sean Julian

Sloppy the tree dragon wants a hug, but Dewdrop the sprite isn’t going to give him one, for a very good reason.

The Hug by Eoin McLaughlin

In this clever flipbook, both a hedgehog and a tortoise are looking for a hug. They ask all the other animals they come across but for some reason no one will hug them. Until a wise owl explains: Hedgehog is too spiky; Tortoise is too bony. And that’s when they find each other!

Hugs From Pearl by Paul Schmid

This is Pearl. Pearl loves to hug. Hugs are nice . . . except when they come from a porcupine. Pearl tries and tries to solve her problem and finally fixes it in her very own way. From the author-artist of A Pet for Petunia comes a prickly new character with a great big heart. Paul Schmid paints Pearl’s world with soft and dreamy colors that reflect just how sweet she is beneath her sharp-quilled porcupine exterior.

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

Tiny T. Rex has a HUGE problem. His friend Pointy needs cheering up and only a hug will do. But with his short stature and teeny T. Rex arms, is a hug impossible? Not if Tiny has anything to say about it! Join this plucky little dinosaur in his very first adventure—a warm and funny tale that proves the best hugs come from the biggest hearts. Introducing an unforgettable character on the picture book scene, Tiny T. Rex will stomp into the hearts of readers in this winning new series.

No Hugs for Porcupine by Zoe Waring

Poor Porcupine just cannot be hugged-his quills are too spikey! Each night, before settling down to sleep, all of Porcupine’s forest friends hug each other goodnight. All except Porcupine, who feels left out-and grumpy! But when Armadillo shows him what a warm, fuzzy “kiss” is (even for a porcupine!), Porcupine is delighted and cannot wait to show his friends. With adorable art, Zoe Waring’s story of making the most out of your physical limitations is sure to win hearts.

Slug Needs a Hug by Jeanne Willis

When it begins to bug slug that his mummy doesn’t hug him, he leaves home to find out why. Kitten suggests he should be furrier, so he puts on a woolly hat, while Bird suggests he needs a beak. Soon, Slug has a new look, will his mummy hug him now?

In kidlit, the gallows humor begins early.

While most of us are likely familiar with Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back, he is not the only nor the first picture book author to write about kids and kid-like animals being devoured by other animals. It’s a fact that wild animals eat other animals as a matter of course; most humans do too. These picture books put a funny twist on this circle of life, though human kids are usually saved from being eaten by fast talking and a bit of cleverness. The anthropomorphized animals, though, as in Klassen’s book, often aren’t as lucky. It’s “death by dinner,” if you will.

The books on this list range from fairly innocuous to potentially traumatizing, depending on the temperament of the child reader. Reader beware: here there be dragons (and bears and lions and sharks and dinosaurs and monsters, and they’re all very hungry).

All descriptions are from Goodreads. What’s your favorite book about animal-on-child murder?

Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman

The filming of an underwater TV show goes awry when the crew gets interrupted by a… SHARRRK! Poor Shark, he wasn’t trying to scare them, he’s just misunderstood! Then he’s accused of trying to eat a fish. Will Shark ever catch a break? After all, he wasn’t going to eat the fish, he was just showing it his new tooth! Or was he? Explosively funny, extraordinarily clever, and even full of fun shark facts, this surprisingly endearing story gets to the heart of what it feels like to be misunderstood by the people around you. With a surprise twist ending, our Misunderstood Shark will have kids rolling with laughter!

Misunderstood Shark: Friends Don’t Eat Friends by Ame Dyckman

This hilarious follow-up to Misunderstood Shark by New York Times bestselling duo Ame Dyckman and Scott Magoon tackles what it really means to be a good friend. Bob is already irate that Shark has eaten him, but when Shark doesn’t admit to eating him, Bob is so mad he declares that the ocean isn’t big enough for both of them! Friends Don’t Eat Friends is exploding with over-the-top humor and awesome marine facts! For example, when Shark overdoses on Finilla Ice Cream after fighting with Bob, we learn that shark teeth are coated with fluoride. Lucky for Shark, he can’t get cavities! Join Shark and the gang for another story and find out if Shark learns his lesson about friendship, or if he really is just misunderstood — again!

Bears Don’t Eat Egg Sandwiches by Julie Fulton

Jack has a rather grizzly visitor arrive for lunch but they don’t want to eat any of Jack’s egg sandwiches. So what do bears eat for lunch? Through quirky illustrations and funny dialogue, the bear tells Jack all about his lunchtime plans, until they’re unexpectedly foiled.

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . .

Monsters Eat Whiny Children by Bruce Eric Kaplan

Dad has warned Henry and Eve: If you whine too much, monsters will eat you. Henry and Eve don’t listen, of course. The only problem is, when the monster comes, he can’t find the right recipe for whiny children—and neither can his monster friends! A whiny child salad doesn’t work because there’s paprika in the dressing. A whiny child cake won’t do because the flour spills all over the floor. And whiny child burgers are out of the question because the grill is too hard to light up. Arguments and hilarity ensue. And just when our persnickety monsters decide on the perfect dish…the worst thing of all happens….

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory and renews his search with a vengeance. Told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor– and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.

I Will Not Eat You by Adam Lehrhaupt

From the award-winning author of Warning: Do Not Open This Book! and Please, Open This Book! comes a suspenseful and darkly funny new picture book about Theodore, who resists the urge to eat the animals that wander into his cave…at least for now! Theodore thinks everything is a potential meal. Lucky for the bird, wolf, and tiger, who pass by his cave, Theodore isn’t hungry…yet. But then something new approaches. A boy. Has Theodore found a new favorite food? Or something more?

I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon

I just ate my friend. He was a good friend. But now he is gone. Would you be my friend? This beautiful, innovate picture book from an enormously talented new creator will make you laugh out loud. The search for a true friend is something everyone can relate to – from the very young to the very old. A hilarious story about the search for friendship and belonging… and maybe a little bit about the importance of impulse control… from an amazing new creator.

Eat Pete! by Michael Rex

Pete couldn’t be more thrilled when a monster shows up in his bedroom. Now Pete has someone to play with! And the hungry monster couldn’t be more thrilled to be there, either. Now he can . . . EAT PETE! But Pete has other ideas. And they are all good fun and quite distracting–things like playing cars and pirates. Well, we all know the course of playing together nicely never did run smoothly. So how much longer will the monster have to wait before he can . . . EAT PETE?

Don’t Eat That by Drew Sheneman

Bear is hungry. Gertie wants to help. But finding the perfect snack is harder than it looks. Will Gertie and Bear silence Bear’s tummy grumbles before hunger gets the best of them? Expressive characters and funny dialogue lead the way in this pitch-perfect story about patience and teamwork, by nationally-syndicated cartoonist Drew Sheneman.

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith

Little Red sets off to visit her auntie who is poorly. A Very Hungry Lion approaches Little Red, wanting to gobble her up. But despite all the cunning plans by Lion, Little Red outsmarts him and soon has him saying sorry and eating doughnuts instead. A classic fairy tale with a twist by the bestselling Alex T. Smith.